Over the Years
by What About Love
Summary: Sometimes a love story like theirs can be years in the making. Will/Karen
1. Chapter 1

September 1999

She had no idea what she was doing at Grace's apartment, sitting on the floor and pretending to enjoy the conversation with Rob and Ellen…well, if she had to be honest, she was not pretending very well. It had become very clear that none of them wanted to be there, much to Grace's dismay. She wished Jack were there, or even Will for that matter. At least one of them would be entertaining to her, but they were not invited. Grace was asserting some sort of independence from Will-which Karen didn't really understand, since the previous year her friends were so swept up in moving in together and taking on life as a team, Though if she had to think about it, she wasn't surprised at all that they got sick of being so close.

Karen sighed and leaned back on her hands, not wanting to look weak, but sitting on the floor was really hurting her back. Rob had been whining about it already, and she made fun of him, so she couldn't really admit to having the same problem at that point. The night seemed like it would never end…

"Psst…come here!" a whisper from Will's apartment caught her attention when she was walking toward the elevator; finally allowed to leave the most boring dinner party she had ever attended. She turned her head to see Will waving her towards him, holding a box of pizza that had apparently just been delivered. Rolling her eyes in annoyance, she walked his way, only to be roughly pulled into his apartment. The door closed quickly behind her, and she turned to face him with frustration in her eyes.

"Honey, what the hell is your problem?"

"How did it go?" She gave him an incredulous look, even more annoyed than she was before she entered his apartment.

"How do you think it went? It sucked. Grace has no idea how to entertain." She readjusted her purse on her shoulder and moved a strand of hair behind her ear. She vaguely wondered why Will was asking her and not his other friends, ones who actually liked him more specifically, but assumed he was expecting actual honesty. And honesty was not something that Karen Walker was afraid to give.

"How did she seem when you left?"

"Why don't you ask her yourself? You know I'm not that perceptive, honey…also, I really don't care." Just then there was a knock on the door, startling them.

"She can't know you're here, she'll think I'm spying on her." He began pushing her toward his bedroom, trying to hide her somewhere that Grace wouldn't need to go.

"No way, I have to go home. You two are exhausting me tonight." She tried to fight him, but he effectively pushed her toward his bedroom, finally meeting her eyes when she turned in frustration. "Wilma, let me go home."

"Please, stay for a second. I swear, I'll get her out of here as fast as I can." She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in defiance. "I'll make you a drink and let you insult me as long as you'd like once she's gone."

"I'll be going through your things, honey, so time is ticking." She gave a small smile before closing the door behind her. She turned to his room, placing her purse and wrap on the bed while she waited. The past year in particular had been very strange in terms of the friendships she was forging. She had unintentionally become very close to Grace, Jack, and even Will, sometimes, and it scared her a little bit. The fact that Will felt comfortable addressing her in the hallway and calling her over let her know she had stepped too far into the "friendship zone." They were getting too comfortable with her.

Even currently, Will had left her alone in his bedroom with full knowledge she was going to go through his things, and he didn't even care. She shrugged and opened the drawer of his bedside table, assuming that was where he would keep the possible embarrassing items she was likely to come across. He had a notebook (a journal?), a pair of glasses in a black case, some photographs from his childhood. She was expecting to find some sex toys or porn; something incriminating, she didn't care what. The raciest thing she found was a box of condoms and some lube. She rolled her eyes at how boring he was and picked up the notebook, sitting on the bed and flipping through to see what she could find.

It didn't take her long to find a page written in scribbled handwriting, her name dripping venom in every place it was written. She wasn't really surprised, but "heartless bitch" and "gold-digger" were only a couple of the terms he used to describe Grace's new assistant. She flipped forward, hoping to find a change of heart, as he certainly didn't dislike her that strongly anymore. It took her a moment to find her name again. He apparently didn't feel the need to trash-talk her with every entry, so that was at least comforting.

The next entry in which her name appeared was when Jack and Grace forced them to go to Champions on Ice for his birthday. He was mostly complaining about having to go and how they overtook his birthday plans. None of that surprised her, as he whined quite a bit that night, but his next words caught her off guard a bit. Karen was the only one who showed me any kindness on my birthday, which makes me feel confused even saying that. She was the only one who paid me any attention at all, and it kind of made me see a different side to her. She was of course rude and crass to everyone around her at all times, but when she spoke to me it was different. And she shared her champagne with me, so I consider that a huge compliment. I won't tell her because it would offend her, but she's starting to show signs of being an actual human. I like it.

She nodded her head, liking that he had redeemed himself just a bit after being so harsh toward her in his first entry. She looked at the clock on his bedside table and sighed in frustration. He was taking forever to get rid of Grace, so she decided to make herself comfortable. She kicked off her shoes, adjusted his pillow, and laid back with his journal in her hand, sifting through the pages for his next entry that mentioned her name. She could admit that she was vain; she didn't really care what else he was writing about unless it was herself.

She found her name once again a few pages later. He was writing about when they all took him to her cabin in Vermont last year to help him forget about Michael. I couldn't believe that Karen was so supportive. I mean, she was her usual, bitchy self, but after everyone else went to bed I found her sitting alone downstairs in front of the fire with a bottle of wine. I watched her for a minute without her knowing I was there, and for the first time since I met her I saw the real her. She didn't have her wall up, and she looked incredibly sad. I didn't want to invade on her privacy, so I made myself known and sat down. We talked for what felt like hours, about nothing really, but she let me vent about Michael, and that's really what I needed, whether I believed it at the time or not. She patted my shoulder when she went up to bed, and I felt cared for. I don't know why, but there was something about her touch that made me feel warm and safe. Not to mention, she looked breathtaking in front of the fire…and I'm gay, so I can only imagine what a straight man sees when he looks at her.

She shook her head, remembering the time he was talking about. She didn't realize he had watched her before sitting down, and she certainly didn't think she looked very "breathtaking" at all that night. That was a moment she remembered well, as she had just gotten off the phone with Stan where they had a very delicate conversation about his feelings for another woman at the office. They had eventually worked past the issue, and as far as she knew he had never cheated on her, but she knew she was in an uncharacteristically vulnerable state when he found her that night. The conversation he took as her being supportive was really her way of distracting herself from her own problems.

She flipped thorough the book some more and put it back in the bedside table, a little afraid of what else she may find between the pages. Just as she closed her eyes and laid back against his pillow, she heard the door open and Will's footsteps enter the room. She opened her eyes and met his with a look of annoyance, also not wanting him to know she had been reading through his journal. It seemed a little more personal than she was wanting to find.

"I'm sorry that took forever. Here's a martini." He smiled and held her drink up as an apology. She stood from his bed, never one to turn down a drink, and gave him a quick smile.

"Your room is as boring as your personality, honey." She took a sip of the drink, noting it was particularly strong. "Where's the porn or the giant, double-sided gay sex toys?"

"I don't know what you have in your bedroom, but I'm sorry to disappoint." He chuckled, but didn't move from his spot. There was something about seeing her lounging on his bed, shoes off, and unguarded that made him unable to move. She handed the drink to him as she slipped her shoes on and picked up her purse, returning to him to take the drink back from his hands. It was really good, after all. She wasn't going to let it go to waste.

"Am I allowed to go home now, captor?" She took another long drink, meeting his eyes with her own.

"Yes, I'm sorry I pulled you in here like that. I was just trying to…" She waved her hand in understanding, beginning to walk toward his door.

"I understand, honey. It's disgusting, but for some reason you and Grace are starting to make sense to me." She patted his shoulder as she walked past him, wondering vaguely if he got the same feeling from her that he described in his journal. It wasn't that she was trying to seem attractive to him, but the words she read did leave a certain curiosity in her playful mind. He followed her to the living room, where the harsh light made her want to retreat back to his bedroom. It was getting late, and she was exhausted after her evening.

"Well she and I worked it out, so I guess you were right when you said I should just talk to her."

"I said that? Wow, I'm smart." Her sarcasm wasn't lost on him, and he rolled his eyes as she finished her martini with one final drink, handing the glass back to him. "That was the strongest drink I've had in a while. Are you trying to get me drunk so you can take advantage of me, honey?"

"You can get drunk?" He laughed, but her hazel eyes didn't move from his. If he didn't know any better, it felt like she was trying to flirt with him. Then he had to remind himself, Karen flirted with everyone she came across, so it shouldn't have come as much of a surprise to him.

"Only under special circumstances. I think I drank everything liquid in Grace's apartment, so I was primed already." He chuckled again, vaguely noticing that she was no longer trying to rush out the door like she had been. She had playfulness in her eyes that he usually only saw whenever she and Jack were being silly, so it was definitely new territory for him. "Oh, I forgot my wrap."

She broke their banter with the realization that her wrap was still laying on his bed, and she really did need to get home to Stan. He had been waiting to watch a movie until she got home, so they could watch it together, and she didn't want him to think she was taking her time on purpose. She returned to Will's room, grabbed her wrap, and turned around quickly, surprised to find that he had followed her. She placed a hand on her chest to calm herself, wondering why he felt the need to follow her for a simple task.

"Sorry…" She shook her head, annoyed again, and began to walk past him. She was stopped, however, by his hand on her shoulder. "Karen…I, um."

"What?" He didn't say anything, only stuttered for a moment longer. "Honey, I really do need to get home. What's wrong with you?" His lips pressed against hers in a swift motion, fear of her pushing him away giving him the motivation to move quickly. She was too shocked to move at first, not really expecting anything of the sort from him, but found herself giving in as he renewed the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, sighing into his mouth as he pulled her closer, his tongue teasing her lips before she opened her mouth to him.

She couldn't have said how long it lasted, it was likely only seconds, but it felt as if everything moved in slow motion. She felt the back of her legs touch his mattress as his hands roamed over her back, and she knew they needed to stop. Breathlessly, she pulled away and looked into his eyes. She had so many questions for him; she had a lot of questions for herself too, if she had to think about it.

"Wow, that was…" He couldn't finish, still holding her close. She didn't step out of his embrace, her hands still upon his shoulders firmly.

"What the hell was that? You do realize you're gay, right? And I'm a married woman." She heard herself speaking and was wondering if she was really speaking to him or reminding herself of her husband waiting at home.

"I know, I'm sorry." He pulled away slowly, not wanting to let go, but knowing he needed to. She straightened out her skirt, composing herself the best she could.

"Don't be sorry. Let's just not do that again, honey." He nodded in agreeance, knowing she was right. She headed toward the front door, feeling the need to get out of his apartment as quickly as possible. She turned toward him, giving a soft smile. "Will, we shouldn't tell anyone about this, okay?"

"I promise."


	2. Chapter 2

September 2000

Will sat at his desk in Karen's beach house, sweating and looking over some paperwork he just got over the fax. The idea of being in the Caribbean for a few months sounded like a good way to clear his head and work on himself, but instead of listening to waves and working on his novel, he was listening to Stan and Karen argue while sifting through legal paperwork. He ran his hands over his face, frustrated, before resting his head against the desk for a moment.

He wasn't sure what exactly they were arguing about; it was always something with them, but they had been yelling at one another for at least thirty minutes. He stood from the desk, finally unable to take any more, and walked out onto the deck. It was hot, but the breeze was picking up as the sun began to set in the distance, and he could tell that a storm would arrive overnight. He continued to walk from the deck onto the beach, effectively unable to hear the arguing from the house, and he sat upon the sand, watching the ocean for a moment.

It was about ten minutes later that he heard the door to the deck slam behind him, but he didn't move to see who it was. It was undoubtedly Karen, running away from whatever problem she was having with her husband. He had learned a lot about her being at the beach house. Her mannerisms were getting easier to pick up on, and he had already witnessed enough arguments between her and Stan that he knew how they both reacted afterward.

"Karen." He called for her whenever she stepped onto the beach and began to walk the opposite direction that he was sitting. He assumed she couldn't see him, as he was a bit hidden from her view, and called her over in case she needed to talk. She turned to face him, the breeze blowing her hair out of her face like a scene from a movie. He was taken aback.

"What are you doing out here?" She composed herself, and he thought for a moment that she was likely coming to the beach to express whatever emotion she was feeling. She didn't step closer, and he could see her building her wall right in front of him.

"It was getting pretty heated in the house. I didn't like hearing you two argue." She looked to the ground at his words, feeling slightly embarrassed, even though she would never admit such a thing. She didn't realize how loud they had gotten in the heat of their words.

"He's just…infuriating sometimes." She walked closer to him and took a seat next to him in the sand. "Obviously, we're still having some issues."

"Have you thought about counseling?" She laughed, a laugh that sounded so empty to her own ears, before turning to face him fully.

"I'm sure you'll be surprised that therapy isn't really our thing." He smiled, knowing that was true before he had even asked the question. He looked up into her eyes, frowning immediately at the sight of her face. "What, honey?"

"Your lip is bleeding." She immediately reached her hand to her face and wiped away some blood, looking at her fingers as she pulled away. She turned away from him, looking over the water and effectively hiding the bruised side of her face from his view.

"It's nothing."

"Karen…"

"Please don't." Her voice was softer than he had ever heard, and he knew she didn't want to discuss it further, but he was feeling a sense of outrage. His first reaction was to go back into the house and take matters into his own hands.

"Does he do that a lot?" She was silent for a moment, uncomfortable at the idea of sharing anything personal with him. She had tried to put a lot of distance between them lately, as she felt they were getting much too close. It had been nearly a year since he kissed her, and they hadn't addressed it once, nor had anything else happened between them, and she desperately wanted to keep it that way. It was becoming increasingly difficult to do whenever he could be so caring and kind to her at times. She finally sighed, giving in to the moment. She trusted that her words would stay with him.

"No, he doesn't. Actually, it hasn't happened in a really long time."

"Why tonight?"

"Well…I told him I want a divorce." She shrugged, wishing she could just be back home in the comfort of her own bed to work through her emotions alone. "Apparently, he does not."

"I didn't know things were that bad."

"I'm just so tired of pretending, honey." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, causing her to flinch at the unexpected contact.

"You never have to pretend with me if you don't want to." She hung her head and tears flowed from her eyes, silently, as she was holding back the best she could. She knew that if she let her tears fall freely, she would never stop. He pulled her close to him, allowing her to rest her face against his shoulder and wrap her arms around him for support. He felt so warm and safe to her, the complete opposite of the cold and sometimes harsh man she married. She wasn't used to being held so gently.

"Please don't say anything to anyone about this."

"You know I won't."


	3. Chapter 3

October 2001

She stared at the wall of her library, her vision blurry from the pills she had taken moments before coming downstairs. She wasn't wearing any makeup and her hair was a mess, she knew she was not fit to be seen by another person so she had sent her staff away for the weekend. All except Rosario, who she knew she could trust with her life. It wasn't that she was trying to be self-destructive, it just hurt so badly to know that her husband was behind bars for a crime she had no idea he was committing. Tax evasion; how embarrassing, she thought.

She took a drink from the vodka bottle she had next to her, cringing at the burn of the straight alcohol passing down her throat. The burn wouldn't exist after a few more drinks, so she wasn't planning to stop any time soon. Tears were threatening to fall from her eyes, an emotional outburst she knew had been close to the surface for days, but she was numbing herself and fighting it with all she had. Grace had stayed with her for a bit, until she simply needed to be alone and kicked her friend out of her house. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the gesture, but she really needed time alone to deal with the mess laid before her.

If she had to truly think about it, she was glad that her husband wouldn't be around for a while. She loved when he left for business trips, and she could be alone to do whatever she pleased with her time. She had asked him for a divorce over a year prior to his arrest, and her opinion had not changed. She still did not want to be married to him, only now she knew that she needed to stay with him at least until he was released and things settled down. She would be made a joke in their high society circle already with the news of his arrest going public, let alone if she had filed for divorce when he was supposed to be needing her the most.

Her phone rang, but she didn't move to answer it. Her brain felt fuzzy and heavy, and she was not at all equipped to speak to anyone at the moment. Rosario entered the room, placing a hand upon her employer's cheek to get her attention. She met the maid's eyes slowly, unsure what the meaning was for the intrusion of her privacy. She saw Will step into view behind Rosie, and she felt a small panic trying to escape her drug-induced body. It must have been the doorbell ringing, not the phone. There was no way she wanted him of all people to see her like that.

"Miss. Karen, Mr. Will is here to check on you. He said Bozo told him we threw her down the stairs." She nodded, blinking heavily to try clearing up her vision, but it didn't work. Rosario left the room to make some tea, taking the half-empty bottle from Karen's side without her even noticing. Will sat next to her on the couch, and she felt the cushion shift at his weight.

"Hey, look at me." She heard his words, but couldn't comprehend. After a moment, her body finally drew up enough strength, and she turned her head to face him. He took her face in his hands and looked into her eyes. "What exactly did you take?"

"Fuck off…" Her words were slurred, and her voice had a deeper tone than he was used to, but he didn't seem deterred at all.

"Well I would, but I definitely can't leave you like this. Let me help you to your bedroom. We can watch a movie with our tea." He grabbed her arm to try helping her stand, but she didn't move at all. Her body felt heavy, and she knew before he had even tried that she would not be able to stand on her own. She had overdone it, again. Sobs were screaming inside her body, but on the outside there were no tears to be seen. She had effectively numbed herself to the point that no emotion would ever get out.

Will, on the other hand, was extremely worried that she had overdosed and possibly needed to go to the hospital. He had never seen her like that, and was quite certain that she didn't want him to either, but he was there and unable to leave until he knew she was safe. He lifted her from the couch, her body heavy and limp in his arms as her eyes fluttered closed. He was afraid to let her fall asleep in her state, so he tried talking to her about nothing until he got her to the bathroom. He pulled her hair back with a hair clip he found on the sink, and sat her in front of the toilet.

"Go."

"I'm sorry, Kare. It's either this, or I'm taking you to the hospital." She tried shaking her head, fighting him, but her body was betraying her; there was no use in fighting. He placed a small kiss upon her cheek in the form of an apology before putting his fingers in her mouth, causing her to choke before vomiting into the toilet in front of her. He held her from behind, helping her control her body as she emptied the contents of her stomach, trying his hardest to ignore the vomit that had gotten on his hand. After a few moments, she finally stopped, out of breath and angry. "I know you're hurting right now, but don't do this to yourself again. You are going to get through this."

After sitting in the bathroom for what felt like hours in Will's arms as he ran his fingers through her hair, tears fell from her eyes, and she reached up to wipe them away. Her body was betraying her in a different way now, and she knew that whatever pills were left in her system were wearing away. She didn't know if he had saved her life or if she would've fallen asleep and awakened just fine the next day, but she was so glad he was there for her.

"I'm sorry, honey." Her words were faster, closer to her usual cadence, and she felt him sigh in relief before hugging her tighter to him.


	4. Chapter 4

December 31, 2001

She finished another glass of champagne, effectively turning her lightheadedness into a true buzz. Grace wanted to have a New Year's Eve party, and she and Jack were supposed to be each other's dates. Jack, however, had his arm wrapped around a man he had just met at the coffee shop that morning, and Karen was left alone. She knew he would forget about her the moment he saw someone attractive enter the room, but it still annoyed her whenever he did it.

"Are you having fun?" Grace shouted excitedly over the music, bringing Karen out of her daze. She smiled and nodded as her friend refilled her glass.

"Are _you_ having fun, honey?" Grace smiled and pointed out a man she liked across the room, one of her neighbors that she had invited upon meeting him in the laundry room earlier in the week. After Grace walked away, Karen refilled her glass once more and drank quickly, constantly feeling like she needed more. She saw a couple enter the bathroom and rolled her eyes, knowing it would take them a while, as she doubted they were actually using the bathroom for its intended purpose.

She looked around the room to find Will. He had locked his bedroom, not wanting anyone to enter it during the party, and she needed to use the bathroom after all the champagne she had been drinking. He was standing off to the side, delicately placing a coaster under someone's glass, before refilling his own and looking around for more unsuspecting guests who did not want to use his strategically placed coasters.

"Hey, Kare. How's the party?" She rolled her eyes, each of them having the same opinion about how annoying the party was going to be, and she leaned closer to his ear so he could hear her over the music.

"Can I use your bathroom, honey? I'm pretty sure someone is busy getting pregnant in this one." She nodded toward the bathroom door where there was a line beginning to form. He shook his head in disgust and took her hand, ushering her toward his bedroom as he unlocked it. He relocked the door immediately so no one would follow, and she rushed to his bathroom, feeling relief that she wasn't going to have to wait. She found him sitting on the edge of his bed upon her return, looking as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. "Thanks for giving me preferential treatment, honey."

"Aren't you used to that?" She scoffed, but he gave her a smile to know he was attempting a joke. She rolled her eyes and picked up her discarded glass from his bedside table, taking a drink before sitting next to him. "Does it mean I'm getting old when I don't think these parties are fun anymore?"

"No, it just means you're smarter than all the idiots who wait around for hours drinking and fantasizing about their New Year's kiss." He laughed at her bitterness, finishing off his own champagne before sitting the glass on his night table. She followed suit; officially finding herself drunk.

"I used to care a lot, but it seems so stupid now."

"Well, honey, that's because it is. No party is going to make you find the person you're supposed to be with, life is going to do that for you." She rolled her eyes, leaning back on her hands. "You're at the stage in your life where you really need to be having sex with as many people as you can before you find someone to settle down with." He laughed, leaning back as well to meet her eyes.

"Really, is that your solution to everything?"

"At least then you wouldn't be sitting in your room on New Year's Eve talking to your best friend's assistant about getting old." He looked at her, still laughing at how amusing she was when she truly crossed the line of becoming drunk. Of course she was always drinking, and typically had a buzz going, but it was rare that she outwardly showed any form of drunkenness. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers in a gentle kiss, hesitating only a moment before pulling away. Her eyes grew wide. "What the hell?"

"I couldn't help myself." She shook her head, unsure of what was happening. When she looked up to meet his eyes she found him waiting, trying to predict her reaction to his kiss.

"I mean, why did you stop?" He smiled, knowing the shaky territory they were walking. Gay, straight, single, married; none of those specifications seemed to matter between the two of them. There was an attraction that they had been trying to ignore from their first meeting, each assuming they were safe because he was gay and she was married.

She stopped his thoughts by leaning in and pressing a kiss to his lips, her hands coming to rest upon his face as he returned her kiss. His tongue penetrated her red lips, causing a sigh to escape her mouth. She moved closer to him, kicking her shoes off, before straddling his waist. The silk of her dress was soft against her skin as she felt his hands begin to caress her back, pulling her close.

She began kissing down his neck, tugging at the hem of his shirt until he allowed her to pull it from his body. Her hands touched his chest, running over the muscles that she had always wanted to run her fingers over. He pulled her back to his mouth in a rough kiss, biting her bottom lip gently before renewing the kiss. His hands began unzipping the back of her purple dress, pulling the top down to reveal her strapless bra, which cupped her breasts delicately in black lace. Her hips ground against his pelvis, and she could feel how hard he was against her center. She reached behind her and unclasped her bra, tossing it to the side. His hands massaged her breasts before moving downward, over her flat stomach and into the front of her panties to rub his fingers over her. She moaned softly into his mouth, surprised at his boldness for having only been with a woman once in his life. The alcohol in their systems was definitely coming into play.

"I want you." His words came in the form of a whisper as he moved his kiss to her neck. She didn't want to think as she stood from his lap and pulled her dress down her legs, stepping out of her panties and standing completely naked before him. He didn't waste any time, as at the moment he saw her nakedness he felt that he could burst. He stood as well and removed his own pants, his boxers quickly following, and they stood face-to-face.

A loud knock on the door broke their spell, and they looked to make sure the door had in fact been locked behind them and no one would be catching them in the moment. Grace's voice resounded loudly on the other side of the door, calling for Will to come out and watch the ball drop on television with everyone. He had fifteen minutes, according to her watch. It was very apparent that she didn't know Karen was in the bedroom with him. She looked into his eyes, breathless.

"Do you think that's a sign we should stop?" Her hazel eyes were still dark with lust, but he knew that she was right. There would be no turning back if they spent the night together; he wasn't even sure if they could turn back from as far as they had gotten.

"Probably." She nodded, biting her lip and stepping closer to him so her naked body pressed against his.

"We're going to pretend this didn't happen anyway, right?" She stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his lips, feeling his arms immediately wrap around her waist as he pulled them back toward the bed. She climbed on top and wrapped her hand around him, feeling him gasp against her lips as she moved her hand gently up and down a few times before guiding him into her body, allowing him to fill her as she sat slowly on top of him.

Her hips moved slowly at first, but then faster as he met her pace, his hands squeezing her hips in pleasure. She leaned down to kiss him, and he rolled them over, taking the lead once he gained more confidence in their actions. One of his hands cupped her cheek, his thumb running over her bottom lip, as the other moved down her body, over her breasts to rest upon her hip. He sped up the pace, and she could feel herself nearing climax. If she had to be honest, it was mostly the idea that they were doing something wrong that turned her on the most. No matter how wonderful he felt inside of her, she took additional pleasure in the fact that their best friends were on the other side of the bedroom door and had no idea what they were doing.

She sighed heavily, feeling the waves of her orgasm rush through her stomach, making her toes jolt as she pulled him closer and tried to maintain the strength to meet his thrusts. He continued to move, following her in climax as he felt her walls tightening around him, before collapsing on top of her, finding her lips in a passionate, needy kiss.

Moments later Karen emerged from his bathroom and found him fully dressed, she herself having cleaned up and redressed. Her hair and makeup were perfect, and she looked as if nothing had happened moments before. He couldn't stop staring.

"I don't know why we did that, but I'm really glad we did." She smiled at his words, mostly because she expected him to regret it immediately. She moved closer to him and kissed his lips, wiping her lipstick from his mouth with her thumb after pulling away.

"I am too, honey." They exited the room, separately, and made it to the television just in time for the countdown to begin. Grace grabbed his hand and asked what took him so long, before turning her attention back to the tv. As they all shouted "Happy New Year" and Grace turned to kiss the man she had been wooing all night, Will turned to find that Karen had left without another word, likely afraid he would turn to her to be his New Year's kiss.


	5. Chapter 5

December 2002

"Thanks for letting me stay with you, honey. I promise it won't be long." She dropped a large bag on the floor in Grace's old room as he finished making the bed for her. She looked around, noticing how bare and desolate the room looked without all of Grace's belongings scattered everywhere.

"I mean, I was going to turn this into a gift-wrapping room." She chuckled a bit, doing her best to ignore the anger in his tone of voice. She wasn't really mentally prepared for an argument at the moment.

"I don't think a gayer sentence has ever come out of your mouth." He looked up to her in annoyance, rolling his eyes when she didn't seem to care at all.

"What I mean is, you really should start looking for a place to live instead of living in a hotel."

"How will I know where I can live until I know what I'll get out of the divorce?" She stepped closer, taking on a sense of seriousness. "Will, if you want me to stay somewhere else I can." He met her eyes.

"Since when do you call me by my actual name?" She was frustrated, not really feeling up to arguing with him. Instead of responding, she turned away and walked into the living room to get a drink. He followed her, tossing his arms out to the side in annoyance. "So you're just running away now? Like you always do."

"I'm getting a drink because you're being passive-aggressive." She took a sip of the red wine she had poured, knowing she would need it if he kept his attitude up for much longer. "What is your problem, anyway?"

"You, you're my problem!" He yelled at her, louder than he meant to, and louder than she expected. She jumped and met his eyes in question, fully giving him her attention. She didn't speak, allowing him to weigh his next words carefully, but they never came. She took another sip of her wine.

"I told you that I would find somewhere else to stay."

"You know it's not about that." His words were calmer, and she looked to her feet. For the past year they had been angry toward each other, picking fights and forcing distance between them. Ever since they made love, they had done their best to draw a line under it, and their friendship had suffered considerably as a result. There were times they didn't even know how to speak to one another.

"Honey, what do you want me to say? We agreed that we would pretend it never happened, so that's what I'm trying to do. It's not my fault that I'm better at it than you are."

"I've only been trying to have a conversation with you for the past year. Every time I try to talk to you about it, you find some way to pretend I don't exist."

"Once again, that does not sound like pretending it didn't happen, honey. I didn't think you were going to be so sensitive."

"No, you just have no feelings toward any other human being. Not even that, you are incapable of feeling anything at all. You just prance around like you don't have a care in the world, and it's bullshit." She took a deep breath, feeling the need to run away again, but knowing that would only prove him right.

"Feelings? Are you waiting for me to say I love you, and then we can be together and ride off into the sunset?" Her words dripped venom, and he was taken aback.

"Karen, I want you to tell me why we can't talk about it; why we even made love in the first place." She laughed, bitterly and cold, stepping closer to him so she could hurt him even more. At least if she were hateful to him, he wouldn't want to talk about anything real.

"Made love? Honey, you were an easy fuck on a night we were feeling lonely." She was lying, that night meant more to her than she cared to admit, and she had no plan to admit it at all to him. She had never felt more cared for than she did that night, and there were many times afterward that she had wanted to return to his bed, or invite him to her own, but she didn't. She was married and he was gay, and that was how it needed to be.

"You're lying."

"You're lying to yourself if you think it was more than it was." He took her chin in his hand and made her look into his eyes, finding them glossy before him. She would never cry, but he could see in her eyes that she was only building her wall in front of him.

"And you're a bitch."

"It's better that way." He leaned down and kissed her, suddenly not feeling as angry with her as he was before their argument began. She was only trying to protect herself from getting hurt, he knew what that was like. He had been doing the same thing with her, which was why he hadn't fought harder to bring up their time together until now.

"What do I have to do to get you to actually talk to me about something real?" She shook her head, but didn't pull away from him. Instead she leaned up and kissed him again, feeling his arms wrap around her waist before she pulled away.

"Wait until my divorce is final, honey. Then I promise, we can talk about whatever you want, and I'll do my best to not be a bitch." He smiled, pulling her into a hug and vowing to himself to let go of his anger toward her. For some reason, they had come to an understanding without actually talking about anything at all.

"I'm going to hold you to that, but I also don't believe you."


	6. Chapter 6

October 2003

She saw him looking at her from across the table, distracted from the other conversations going on around them at Leo and Grace's dinner party. Apparently Leo's ex-girlfriend was the only woman Will had ever had sex with, which was a conversation that had been a lot of fun to Karen, since he had also been with her a couple years ago. She spent her evening flirting with the woman in question, continuing to lean over and allow a generous amount of her cleavage to show. Will and Grace argued and made up all the time, as she knew they would in this situation too, so neither she nor Jack really invested themselves in the argument. Instead, they took a moment to themselves to take her dog downstairs for a little walk. She really couldn't say it was her dog; in fact she was hoping to unload it on whomever she could as soon as possible.

"Ugh, Karebear, they are so exhausting." Jack whined as they walked the dog over to a little patch of grass to do his business. "I mean, I don't see why we aren't talking about how disgusting it is that Will was with a woman in the first place. Gross."

"I know, Poodle. He's gay one minute then the next he's a lesbian. I can't keep his story straight!" She smiled and shifted her weight, waiting for the dog to be finished. He was taking forever, and she was a little chilled.

"You know, I thought about having sex with a woman once."

"No you didn't."

"I did so! I mean, not anyone in particular, but I thought about trying it once. But gross." She laughed, grabbing his hand in her own as they began to walk the dog back into the building. The argument had picked up a bit, so they didn't say much else when they sat down.

It felt like hours had passed, but it had really only been about forty-five minutes before she and Jack had unloaded the dog on Diane, and she was out the door and on her way home. Karen and Jack were still sitting on the couch when she turned to see Will looking at her from the kitchen. She winked at him, giving a soft smile. He could tell she had really enjoyed the talk of the evening that was centered around him, she kept looking at him as if she were excited to know a secret nobody else did.

"Are you guys about ready to go? This evening has been exhausting." Jack and Karen nodded, and they all said their goodbyes to Grace and Leo before making their way to Karen's limo. The drive back to the apartment was pretty quick, as it had gotten late and traffic was fairly calm. As they approached the apartment building, Karen felt Will's hand brush hers between them. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, and she knew it was only a matter of time before she was in his bed again. "Karen, I have a few papers that I need your signature on. Would you mind coming up for a second?"

"Sure, honey. As long as I don't actually have to know what I'm signing." They all three rode up together in the elevator, Jack laughing at how terrible Grace's dinner party was, and he was not planning to go back to her apartment any time soon. He pinched Karen's backside and allowed her to pinch his in return before saying his goodnights and going to his own apartment. Will began unlocking his door and felt Karen's body press against his back, her whisper soft in his ear. "I'd better not actually be signing anything when we get in there."

He opened the door and she followed him closely, closing it behind her and waiting. His lips were immediately pressed against hers, eliciting a sigh from her mouth as she dropped her coat and purse to the ground and wrapped her arms around his neck. He pressed her against the door, reaching behind her to put the chain on and lock the deadbolt before lifting her from the ground, her legs wrapping around his waist, and he held her tightly against him. She kicked off her shoes, hearing them drop to the floor as he rushed them to his bedroom, carrying her to the bed and dropping her upon the mattress with a small bounce. He kicked off his shoes as well and mounted her, running his hands up her legs, beneath her dress to begin pulling down her thigh high stockings. She unbuttoned his shirt quickly, running her hands over his chest to feel his skin upon her palms, so soft and warm. He had clearly been working out a lot recently.

"This zipper has been driving me crazy all night." He unzipped the front of her dress down to her navel, kissing over her chest as her cleavage became exposed to him. She arched her back as his hand slipped beneath her dress and between her thighs, rubbing her through her panties as his lips continued to explore her breasts. She sat up a bit, pulling the top of her dress down and off her shoulders and unclasping her bra for him to explore further, and he quickly kissed over one of her breasts, placing his mouth upon her nipple. He pulled the rest of her dress down her body and tossed it to the floor, never taking his mouth from her as he began kissing down her stomach to her panty line. He tossed his shirt to the floor and pulled her panties down as well, and she sat upon her elbows and looked at him as she was suddenly bare before his eyes.

He kissed her inner thighs, moving upward until his lips met her center in a deep kiss, his tongue jetting out from between his lips to caress every surface he could. She gasped, lying back upon the bed in pleasure. For him having only been with a woman twice in his life, she did not expect him to be so bold. And it felt amazing, as if he'd done it so many times before. She felt his tongue dip inside of her, and it sent a shiver down her spine. She wasn't sure how he was so good at what he was doing, but she was certainly not going to complain.

"Come here." She grabbed ahold of his shoulders, pulling him up the length of her body and rolling him onto his back so she could remove his pants and boxers, quickly. She wanted him more than she thought possible. She climbed on top of him and made their connection, sighing in pleasure as he took her hips in his hands and began to move immediately. He sat up, holding her in his lap as she readjusted and wrapped her legs around his waist. She leaned back and looked down at the connection between them as their hips met in unison, feeling sweat begin to prickle upon her body before he pulled her closer to kiss her neck, biting her collarbone as she sped up the pace.

He rolled them over so that he was on top of her, his hands moving down her body, cupping her backside and caressing every area of skin he could touch before bringing his hand behind her leg and pushing it toward her chest, falling deeper into her as he continued to thrust. His teeth sank into her lower lip as she began to shiver beneath him, grasping him in her arms and sighing loudly as her orgasm coursed through her veins. He looked into her eyes, which were glazed over with passion as his feelings overtook him as well, and he came inside of her, shuddering and clenching his teeth as he continued to move until the last waves subsided between them.

They kissed, their lips moving together in a fit of passion as they both came down from their high. She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist and her arms around his middle to hold him close, his warmth too welcoming to let go of so quickly. He pulled away from their kiss and pushed her hair back with his fingers, looking deeply into her eyes before placing a gentle kiss upon her lips.

"You are incredible." His words came breathlessly, and she smiled before placing another kiss to his lips and allowing him to pull out of her body. He laid down upon his back and pulled her to his side, still keeping her close to him for fear that she may disappear.

"How did you get so good at hetero sex?" He laughed, running a hand over his face to try stopping the instant fatigue he was feeling.

"Apparently that's been the topic all night." She leaned up and looked down upon his face, smiling before kissing him again.

"Well, I am disappointed I couldn't be in on that conversation, honey. I now have two experiences to brag about." She kissed his lips once more before standing and going to the bathroom. When she returned he was pulling the covers back on the bed.

"Will you stay?" He looked up, meeting her eyes in question. She had no intention of leaving, if she had to be honest, but thought that given their track record with one another, he probably had no idea what her intentions were.

"Sure, honey." She smiled, walking over to the bed and getting under the blankets. "But you'd better be making breakfast."

"Of course. I have this new Eggs Benedict recipe I've been dying to try." He got beneath the blankets as well, rolling over to pull her naked body close to him. She smiled at the safe feeling he provided, even though she had to admit she was never one who really liked to cuddle in usual circumstances. There was something different about him that made her want to remain close. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, honey, I'm great. What's wrong?" She turned her head to face him, meeting his eyes in question.

"I'm a little worried that this doesn't feel weird. I don't know what I'm supposed to be thinking or saying right now." She chuckled, turning her head back to lay upon the pillow as she cuddled closer to him.

"I think you're not supposed to be overthinking it, honey. Let's sleep, and then we can talk about whatever you want in the morning, okay?"

"You're actually offering to talk about something?"

"Well, I did promise a while ago that I would, didn't I? I believe I also promised not to be a bitch during the conversation." He laughed, remembering the conversation they had well over a year prior.

"I can't believe you remember that. I had convinced myself that conversation was never going to happen."

"It seemed really important to you, honey. And I do think we have a lot of things we should say." He pulled her close, hoping it wasn't just the afterglow of making love that had her in the talking mood. She felt so perfect in his arms.


	7. Chapter 7

October 2003-continued

She gasped as his hand reached between her legs, rubbing near their connection as he continued thrusting into her from behind. She came almost as soon as he touched her, reaching behind her to grasp his hip, her fingers digging into his flesh in pleasure. She had been awakened by hands upon her breasts and kisses down her neck, and before she could be fully roused from sleep, he had entered her from behind and begun to rock her world.

He came within a few more thrusts, and he bit her shoulder as he pushed through until the waves of pleasure subsided. He turned her face to his and kissed her hard, his tongue dipping into her mouth and taking her breath away before she could even regain it. He pulled out of her body and placed one last kiss upon her lips before heading to the bathroom and getting dressed for the morning.

She lay on her back, completely out of breath and completely satisfied. She couldn't believe where she was, who she was with; it was all so surreal to her. And the strangest part about the whole thing was that it didn't feel strange at all to be with him in that way, just as he had said the night before. It felt almost too right, and that scared her a little bit. She didn't necessarily want to run from it yet, but it had the making of a situation she was bound to ruin, just because that was what she did. Will re-entered the bedroom in a pair of pajamas and began to dig in his dresser for a pair that she would be able to wear.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" He smiled as he tossed a pair of pajamas onto the bed for her. She rolled her eyes and sat up, looking at the items placed before her.

"You're too old to be cute, honey."

"Wow, we're back to insults already? I'm hurt." She laughed and he placed her bra and panties upon the bed as he tidied up the room from the night before, picking up her dress and laying it across a chair.

"Are you always this energetic in the mornings?" She put her bra on and pulled the shirt over her head, untangling herself from the sheets before walking toward the bathroom, leaving the door cracked so they could continue their conversation.

"Yes and no. I figure we run the likelihood that Jack will join us for breakfast, so I want to make sure it doesn't look like we ripped each other's clothes off last night." She exited the bathroom fully dressed in his pajamas, causing him to smile. "You look adorable."

"Compliments too, honey? If I didn't know any better, I'd think you almost liked me a little bit." He walked closer and placed a kiss upon her lips.

"Just for now." She smiled and walked out of the bedroom, gathering her shoes, purse, and coat from the night before and placing them next to the door as if she had put them down appropriately upon her arrival.

Will started the coffee pot, and he began gathering items in the kitchen to make breakfast. Karen watched him for a moment from a distance, never really having taken the time to pay attention to his mannerisms. He was very at ease in the kitchen, as if he belonged there, and she vaguely wondered how he had become an attorney in the first place. It seemed as if he should have done something more creative with his life. Then she remembered how tightly-wound he usually was, and the attorney career made more sense.

"So, what is it exactly that you want to talk about, honey?" Her words came as she entered the kitchen and hopped up onto the counter he wasn't using. He handed her a cup of coffee, made exactly how she liked it, and placed a small kiss upon her lips before continuing to cook. "How do you know how I like my coffee?"

"We've known each other for about five years; most people pick up on those kinds of things."

"…I don't know how you like your coffee." He chuckled, knowing for a fact that she didn't. She wasn't necessarily a perceptive friend, but he was never offended by that.

"I like just a little sugar and some low-fat milk." She took a sip, but remained quiet as he stirred something that she didn't recognize on the stove. He clearly knew what he was doing, for which she was thankful, because she only knew what the eggs were. "Are we going to keep doing this?"

"Doing what, honey? Having sex?" He nodded, wishing she would make it sound more like it felt; it felt like they were swimming in an ocean and floating on clouds simultaneously. "I don't know. I mean, we could obviously never be a couple, so it would have to be more of a friends with benefits kind of relationship."

"I agree about the not being able to ever be a couple, but I'm a little worried about what happens if we continue this and one of us starts dating someone. Would you get jealous if I stopped seeing you because I was dating someone else?" She thought for a moment, taking another sip of her coffee as he began preparing the plates for them to eat.

"I want to say no, because we have no ties to each other, but I know that I would in some ways." He placed the plates on the table and stopped moving, meeting her eyes in question.

"Did you really just admit that?"

"Honey, I'm incredibly sober right now. Besides, you said you wanted a real conversation. Wouldn't you be jealous if the same thing happened from my side?" He walked back into the kitchen, moving close to her until she wrapped her legs around him. His hands caressed her hips, and she smiled as she wrapped an arm around his neck.

"I'm jealous just thinking about it now." She kissed him, continuing to smile from her perch upon the counter before he helped her down, allowing her to walk ahead of him to the table while he poured himself a glass of orange juice.

"Does that mean this morning was the last time, then?" Her heart began to beat faster at her own question, sincerely hoping that wasn't the case. Will walked over to his front door and took the chain off the latch, unlocking the deadbolt as well before returning to her side at the table.

"I say we cross the jealously bridge when we get to it. I think I'd like to explore my own sexuality a bit more."

"Oh, is that what you're calling it? It at least helps explain the fact that every single thing you have done to me has been the farthest from gay I can imagine." Jack flounced through the door unannounced, coming over right on time to mooch breakfast off of Will. He stopped, however, at the sight before him.

"Karebear, did you spend the night with Will instead of me?" He gasped, his hand to his chest.

"Sorry, Poodle, his paperwork was so boring, I wouldn't have even been able to make it across the hall if I tried." He sat down next to her, beginning to pick at the food on his plate.

"He does have a way of making people want to fall asleep instantly." Jack continued to bash Will, but Karen met his eyes with a smile. It was clear that their friends would never imagine what they were doing behind closed doors.


	8. Chapter 8

April 2004

Karen sat at the vanity in her dressing room, waiting for the moment she would become Mrs. Lyle Finster. She rolled her eyes, knowing she hated his last name and would put off taking it for as long as she possibly could. He had been driving her completely mad the entire trip to Las Vegas, and she was seeing too many rifts in their relationship that weren't there before they left home. Or perhaps they were, and she was just rushing everything so quickly that she hadn't paid the proper attention.

He was not at all what she expected. In the beginning, she wasn't really too serious about him, but before she knew it he was moving into her manse and proposing marriage. She said yes without thinking too much about it, and she quickly filled her days with planning a wedding. With everything moving so quickly, she didn't really take a moment to think about all the little things she was giving up for him until they got off the plane in Vegas. It was beginning to feel a little too real, too overwhelming. She ran a hand over her face and sighed, trying her best to calm her nerves.

"Karen!" Will entered the dressing room, closing the door behind him. She turned in her chair quickly, meeting his gaze and wondering why he wasn't sitting with the other guests. The ceremony was due to begin any moment.

"Honey, what are you doing here?" She stood and moved closer to him, feeling how tense he was from across the room. He was out of breath, almost as if he had been running.

"It's not my place, and I know that, but…" He took her hands, unable to continue for a moment. "Karen, please don't marry this guy."

"Will…" She looked down to their connected hands, wishing he wasn't saying such things to her in a weak moment where she was already doubting herself.

"No, I know what you're going to say, but listen to me. You have known this guy for five minutes, all you've done is argue with him the entire time you've been here, and I can't stand the way he talks to you. You deserve way better than this." She scoffed, tossing his hands away from her.

"Really, honey, that's what you want to say to me? You're not upset that I stopped screwing around with you a month ago for him?"

"You know I miss being with you, but I completely understand that you want to be true to him."

"Then why are you even here? I'm supposed to be getting married in two minutes, Will. Why would you come in here, right now, and tell me that I'm making a mistake."

"Because I really feel like you are. I don't want to see you get hurt when he doesn't turn out to be the man you deserve."

"And who's the man I deserve, honey, you?" She walked closer to him, anger boiling in her veins as she met his eyes.

"This isn't about me."

"Exactly. So get out of here and pretend to be happy for me like everyone else is doing." She turned to grab her bouquet of flowers, straightening out her dress in frustration.

"If that's really what you want, I will absolutely do that. But, please think a little bit more before you walk down that aisle." She didn't meet his eyes again before he left, not wanting him to see the tears she was trying her best not to let fall. After a moment of composing herself, she took a deep breath, and she walked out the door. It was time to get married.

She walked down the long hallway outside the reception hall, shaking her head in frustration. She couldn't believe the series of events that evening. She brought a champagne bottle to her lips and took a long drink, reminiscing over the evening. It was possibly the shortest marriage in history; she thought it maybe lasted twenty minutes if she was lucky. After all was said and done and her new husband gave a speech that was supposed to be heartwarming, she was ready to flee immediately.

They all remained at the reception for a little while, at least until everyone had eaten and taken the time to enjoy the party. She and Lyle fought for a bit in a back room, but he ultimately left her alone and knew there was no changing her mind about remaining married to him. She was finished before she even walked down the aisle, and it made her incredibly angry that she knew she didn't want to marry him, yet she still tried to go through with it.

The champagne was nearly gone by the time she had paced the hallway enough to find the elevator. She pressed the button to go to her floor, vaguely wondering if Lyle would be in their room when she got there. She thought they would be spending their wedding night together, and there was no need for separate rooms after all. By the time she exited the elevator her feet led her in the opposite direction of her suite. Instead of checking to see if Lyle was around, she found herself knocking on the door of someone else, taking another long drink from her champagne bottle.

"Karen, what are you doing here?" Will opened the door of his hotel room in nothing but a towel, having obviously just gotten out of the shower.

"I'm coming to yell at you, you asshole." Her words were only slightly slurred, causing him to roll his eyes and step to the side to allow her to enter. After closing the door, he turned around to face her, finding a mixture of sadness and aggression in her eyes; which he knew was a deadly combination for her.

"What did I do now?"

"Are you kidding? You came to me minutes before my wedding and told me not to get married. You got into my head, and now look what happened." She was loud, but not quite yelling at him. He wasn't sure how she was needing him to respond, or how he was supposed to respond so she didn't throw the bottle she was holding at his head.

"I'm sorry I did it that way, but I am not to blame for your bad relationship choice. It's not my fault you decided to end it twenty minutes too late." Instead of firing back at him with an insult as he expected, she looked to the ground and covered her face from his view, tears falling from her eyes. He was shocked, slowly walking forward to take the empty bottle from her hand and pull her into his arms. He held her gently as she cried, truly unsure if it was because of her failed relationship or the embarrassment of the way it ended. "Karen, you'll be okay, I promise."

"I know, honey." She held him closely as her tears slowed, feeling the comfort of his hands over her back. "I'm just so…angry."

"You're allowed to be angry, or sad, or whatever you want to be." He pulled back and placed his hands on either side of her face, making her look into his eyes. "You're the strongest woman I know. You're going to get through this."

She moved forward and kissed him, hungrily. He tasted the champagne on her lips and knew she was drunk, but he didn't pull away, as he had waited too long for her to come back to him to stop her. It really had been only a month since they were last together, but it felt like a lifetime. Her arms wrapped around his neck, desperately wanting to feel close to him in that moment as he lifted her from the ground and moved to the bed. She kicked off her shoes as he laid down on top of her, feeling her wrap her legs around his waist, which was only covered still by his towel. He broke their kiss and touched her face, his palm caressing her check.

"You probably didn't think you would be the one taking off my wedding dress tonight." He smiled and rolled his eyes at her joke, knowing she was doing her best to lighten the moment. He reached up and took the flowers out of her hair, unclipping her bun and taking the pins out. He sat everything on the bedside table before running his fingers through her hair, loosening her dark tresses from the hold of her hairspray.

"There you are." She smiled, not sure what he meant exactly, but knowing that he had always told her she looked the most beautiful with her hair down and no makeup…which he only had seen on special occasions.

"What else?" He ran his hands down her back, unzipping her dress and tossing it to the floor as his lips moved down her body, pulling her panties down her legs as well and leaving her clad in only her white, lace bra. She sat up and pulled him close, finally removing the towel from his waist and freeing his naked body to her. He mounted her quickly, making their connection and causing her to gasp in ecstasy. She didn't want to be anyone else's but his in that moment.

They made love for hours, the noises from the hallway only adding to the sounds of their lips touching and the sheets sliding against their bare skin. She kissed him as the waves from their orgasms subsided, feeling his hands rest against her hips as she stopped moving on top of him. His tongue tapped hers as their breathing began to calm, before she pulled away to look into his eyes.

"I missed you." She chuckled, resting her head against his chest as he rolled them over and broke their connection, never letting her leave his arms.

"I didn't go anywhere, honey."

"You know what I mean." He pulled her close, kissing her forehead and taking in her scent. He began running his fingers through her soft, dark hair. "I'm ashamed to admit that I got jealous, even though I wasn't supposed to."

"And you think I don't get jealous whenever I see you and Vince together?" His fingers stopped moving, and he sighed, not quite knowing what he was supposed to say to that. She looked up at him, resting her chin on her hand so she could look into his eyes. "Does this need to stop for real, honey? I don't want to be the one holding you back."

"No, you're not holding me back, and you're not going anywhere."

"You really feel okay with cheating like that?" She was a little surprised. Even she had stopped seeing him when she felt her relationship was getting serious with Lyle, and she was well aware that she was the most careless between the two of them.

"Are you asking me to choose?"

"I would never do that, honey."

"Don't feel bad about what I'm doing. I promise I've thought it through." She shrugged, giving him a small smile.

"If you say so, honey. Who am I to question, anyway?" He kissed her once again, igniting a flame as he rolled over on top of her.


	9. Chapter 9

February 2005

"Kiss her." He said, his hands caressing their backs in unison as Styx played on the radio in the kitchen. They both had succumbed to the Baker's advances in their own ways, but neither were very attracted to him at the moment; he was pressuring a little too hard for them to have a three-way. Karen knew that Will was dating the baker, she found out whenever she saw that he had yet to be fired from her staff, but became very confused whenever he began to put his hands on her. Before she even knew what was happening, she found herself gasping for air beneath his thrusts.

And then he was gone. He was pressuring them to jump into bed with him, and then he was gone at Rosario's beckoning. She was disgusted with him, and with herself, at the fact that he was literally going to bed with every person within his grasp. She and Will met each other's eyes, gasping in shock at what had just transpired before them.

"I am so firing his ass." Will's words caused her to roll her eyes.

"We wouldn't even be here if you had fired him in the first place, by the way."

"Oh, get over yourself; you slept with him too. In fact, I'm pretty sure you only slept with him to somehow stick it to me, or something." She narrowed her eyes at him, knowing he was angry, but still not fully understanding why his anger was landing upon her.

"Yeah, honey, every decision I make is really all about you."

"Would you have done it?"

"A three way? Not with two men. It sounds like I'd get roughed around a lot." She walked to the refrigerator to get a bottle of water, offering one to him as well. He accepted and took a sip, letting his anger subside the best he could.

"I wouldn't have let that happen." She smiled at his protective nature, but knew in the heat of the moment that the baker would have been the one running the show. He had a power over both of them that was a bit unnerving.

"We probably need to get tested for STDs with how many people he's screwing around with." Will laughed at the disgusted look upon her face as she took a seat at the counter, taking another sip of her water.

"He has really good taste though…I mean, aside from the weird, Rosario thing. If he only knew the things we've done to each other." He wrapped his arms around her from behind, kissing her neck, but not taking it any further. It felt wrong to touch her too much only an hour or so after another man had invaded her body. She smiled, vaguely thinking about the last time they were together, just a few nights before.

"He would have pushed harder for that three way if he knew." He laughed, moving from her side to lean against the counter, making full eye contact with her. "What, honey?"

"Would you like to go to a movie?"

"With you?"

"No, I'm asking for a friend." He rolled his eyes, taking her hand in his. "Of course with me."

"We don't really do that, honey."

"I know, but the one thing we typically do together is going to have to wait until you get your STD tests." She narrowed her eyes, but gave into her own laughter after a moment.

"What I mean is: that sounds a little bit like more than what we are."

"You mean it sounds like a date? I'm gay, Karen. I don't know where you would ever get the impression that I'm even remotely interested in you in that kind of way." He placed his hand to his chest, feigning exasperation, and she laughed once more, finally forgetting she had been angry only moments before.

"You'd better not take me to something stupid."


	10. Chapter 10

October 2005

She continued to empty the bottle of vodka, feeling it burn, but not really caring too much at the moment. Stan was alive…she had no idea what she was supposed to do about that. Her brain could barely comprehend what was happening in her life. It felt as if everything was happening of its own accord, and she was simply along for the ride. She heard Will speaking to one of her maids in the hallway as they directed him to where she was. It didn't help anything, but she was angry with him for keeping the secret of her husband's miraculous resurrection from her for as long as he had. They had spent countless nights together since he had been told, and he still kept the information from her. She was always so certain she could trust him with anything.

Will had attempted to help her come to terms with her emotions merely a week before. Even though they had both become vulnerable to one another in that way, she was still displeased with him. Perhaps it was easier to be angry with him than it was to face the fact that Stan would want all of her if she decided to take him back; he would not be willing to share her, and she was not quite ready to give up her lover. She still wasn't even sure if she truly did want him back. So many things had changed since the last time they were together. She had changed.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She took another drink, only stopping when he took the bottle from her hand and sat it upon the table of her library. She gave him an angry look, but didn't move to take back the bottle. The alcohol wasn't really helping anything anyway at that point.

"I'm coming to make sure you're not drinking yourself into oblivion."

"Go fuck yourself."

"Really? That's what you say to a concerned friend?" She rolled her eyes, her blood boiling. She wasn't angry with him at all; she was angry with the fact that she had to end it between them, and she was not ready to do so. "I told you I was sorry. I don't know what else to say."

"Why can't you just leave me alone, honey?" She stood from her seat and walked toward the window, turning her back to him and wishing he would simply leave. Most people she knew would have become angry at her tone and walked out the door. She was always good at clearing a room. He moved to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. Her first reaction was to push him away and yell at him, but she knew she needed the caring touch he provided. He knew it too, and that scared her a bit. In the years they had been lovers, they had gotten to know one another on a level she had never expected.

"Why are you trying so hard to push me away right now?" She closed her eyes, leaning against him.

"Because we have to stop, honey." Her words came in a whisper, but she knew he heard them with the way his body tensed behind her. It was obvious that he was choosing his words carefully, thinking about how he really wanted to react.

"No." He kissed the side of her head and stepped away, walking toward the door to close it so the staff wouldn't hear them speaking. She turned around quickly, giving a short laugh that did not at all sound humorous.

"You can't say 'no,' like I offered you a drink or something. I'm serious, Will, we have to stop." She walked closer to him as she spoke, watching the emotion fill into his eyes; she couldn't quite tell if it was anger or sadness at the moment. If she knew him like she thought she did, it was a little bit of both.

"Because you're going to take Stan back?"

"Yes." He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. It was the first time she had voiced her decision, and she was still feeling unconfident about it.

"So, you're suddenly going to be married to him again, and you're going to be the happiest woman alive, so you don't need me anymore. Is that the plan?" His eyes looked deeply into hers, trying to hurt her; he knew he could.

"Will…"

"And he's not going to lie to you, or cheat on you anymore? And you're not going to want to divorce him every five seconds?" He stepped closer, watching her wall desperately trying to stay in place. "Do you miss being hit in the face, Karen?"

"Please stop." A tear that she couldn't control fell down her cheek, and he took a deep breath as he calmed himself.

"You obviously know what it means to be married to him. I'm sure you'll be as happy as you ever were." He turned to walk away, as if he were going to leave it like that between them, which completely infuriated her.

"What other choice do I have?" Her words were loud, causing him to stop walking away and turn back to face her. She was close to him, moving quickly in her anger. "If he comes home I will have my husband back. I will have stability in my life, and I really need that again."

"Stability is why you're taking him back, not love."

"I don't know if you've noticed, Will, but I've not really done a great job with the whole love thing. And I refuse to be alone for the rest of my life when I have someone who really does love me and wants to be with me."

"You wouldn't be alone. You'd have me." She laughed harshly, tossing her hands to the side in exasperation.

"What are you going to do for me, honey?"

"I've been your stability for years!"

"I know you have! But I need more than you will ever be able to give!" They stayed silent, weighing the conversation between them. It wasn't one that they had ever had, as they simply knew where they stood with one another. They had been together on and off for years, sharing secrets and beds, but never once had they touched on the possibility of something more between them; each knowing it would never be an option, and it would never work even if it was.

"I think I've been really selfish with you." He looked to the ground, his hands upon his hips.

"We've both used each other, that was the whole point. But you're gay, honey. We can only go so far before we're just…stuck." She shook her head, knowing she would've been able to fall for him in an instant had she allowed it. He quickly walked toward her, and she accepted the hug he offered, wrapping her arms around his neck as he held her close to him. They each held back tears as they were closing a chapter in their lives. Of course they would still see each other often, as there was no chance their foursome of friends would ever fall apart, but they were well aware that it would feel as if something were missing for some time.

"Have you told him yet?"

"No, honey, I haven't." He pulled back and kissed her deeply, almost desperately before pulling away and looking into her eyes. "But it really is what I want."

"I know." She nodded, her palm caressing his cheek. "The time I've spent with you has been the most exciting of my entire life. I want to make sure you realize that before I go."

"It's meant a lot to me too, honey." She smiled brightly, sadness threatening to overcome her and tears filling her eyes.

"I want you to know that you can always come to me if you need anything, and my door is always open." She kissed him once more, taking in the feeling of his lips upon her own one more time before watching him walk out the door.


	11. Chapter 11

April 2006

Karen's father had passed away when she was seven-years-old. Ever since that moment, her life had been a whirlwind of death; cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles, husbands, so many people in her life had passed away unexpectedly that she tended to find herself numb when the topic of conversation arose. However, when she saw the look on Will's face at his father's funeral, she felt her heart would truly break for him.

It had been six months since they last touched, since their last kiss, and she only wished she were able to comfort him in the ways she used to. Life with Stan was exactly how she knew it would be, stable and boring, but she felt safe and taken care of again. She hated the world of dating terribly, and he left her alone to her own devices a majority of the time, so it really was a win-win situation for her. Except for the fact that she wasn't happy at all; just as Will new she wouldn't be.

She watched him energetically laying coasters out once they all arrived to his mother's house for the wake, and she took the moment to make a strange comment and excuse to hug him, passing the little comfort she could to him in the eyes of their friends. She sat upon the couch with Grace and Jack while he went to the dining room with his mother, helping her serve the food one of his brothers had picked up on the way.

"I've never seen him like this." Grace's words came quietly, not wanting anyone else to hear her concern. Jack nodded his agreement. He was always uncomfortable in the situation of death as well. "The last conversation they had was an argument."

"He's never lost anyone, honey. He has no idea what he's supposed to be feeling." Karen shook her head, surprising herself and her friends with her words. It wasn't like her to know anything real about him, nor was it like her to speak as if she were a real person in moments like that. She met their eyes, giving a small smile. "And I'm clearly not drunk enough."

She stood and walked to a tray of drinks that Marylin had set out before disappearing. After choosing a martini, she quickly drank, burying her humanity beneath the alcohol before taking another martini from the tray. She took her empty glass to the kitchen to have something to do. She wanted a moment to pass before she returned to her friends, as she was slightly frustrated that if she had said any more then they may have known something was off about her and Will. They had both been extremely careful with their words for years.

And then she reminded herself with another sip of her drink that she and Will didn't exist anymore. It had been a difficult six months for her coming to that realization; he apparently had meant so much more to her than she realized, and that thought hurt even more than she cared to admit. Suddenly she bumped into someone as she turned from the sink, gasping and nearly spilling the drink she had in her hand.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to sneak up on you." She placed her hand upon her chest, catching her breath, looking into Will's deep, brown eyes. His hand upon her shoulder made her shiver, but she did her best to hide it beneath the surprise she felt.

"It's okay, honey. I just thought I was alone." He nodded, taking a step back when one of his cousins walked into the room to grab a couple of paper towels before walking out again, apparently going to clean up some kind of mess that was made. "How are you holding up?"

"Not well, but I just had a good conversation with my mom that I think we both needed. That kind of helped." She smiled softly, thinking a moment before offering him the glass in her hand. He returned her smile and downed the rest of her martini in one gulp.

"I offered you a drink, not the whole thing."

"You always know where to find more." She knew he enjoyed their banter and hoped it would keep his mind in a better place for the day.

"That I do, honey. Your mom has drink stations all over the place…I like her a lot." He moved a bit closer, smiling as he sat the empty glass on the counter behind her.

"I do miss the taste of martinis. I haven't had one in about six months or so." She wasn't sure what she was supposed to say to his mention of their previous exploits, so she stayed quiet for a moment. He shrugged, knowing that he shouldn't have said anything at all. It wasn't often they were alone together anymore, mostly by choice, and he likely just let the words slip, she thought.

"I miss you." Her words were quiet, and she couldn't believe she had even said them at all. She blinked heavily and looked to the ground, chuckling a bit at herself. She was the one who had ended things between them, and she had no right to say something like that to him. "I didn't mean to say that."

"I miss you too." She looked up, feeling heat rise to her cheeks as he stepped closer. She thought he was going to kiss her, but another relative entered the room for something from the refrigerator, causing Will to roll his eyes in annoyance. He took her hand in his and began to walk. "Come with me."

"Where?" He didn't answer as he led her down a hallway and up a set of stairs. Her heart was racing; the whole thing was very reminiscent of their past dalliances. He pulled her inside what looked like a spare bedroom and closed the door behind them, pressing her against it and standing so close she thought they would melt into one another. "Will…"

"I just want to feel close to you right now. I promise I have no other intentions." Her heart felt heavy for him, knowing he had no one else in his life at the moment to comfort him in the way a lover could. If she had to be honest, she wasn't sure she would pull away if he began to touch her.

"Kiss me." His lips touched hers gently, and she met his kiss with passion, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him closer. She did her best to impress comfort upon him in any way she could, holding him tightly as his tongue touched her lips. He pulled away after a moment and rested his forehead upon hers. "It's okay to feel lost right now, honey."

"I just don't know what I'm supposed to do." She touched his face with her hand, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

"You grieve, however you feel you need to grieve, and then every day gets a little bit easier. And you always have me, Grace, and Jack if you need to talk."

"They don't seem to know what to say to me either."

"Then call me, honey. I always have something to say, whether you like it or not." He smiled, pressing one last kiss to her lips, just in case it were the last time she allowed him to do so, before she pulled him into a hug. She held him for a few minutes until he was ready to face the crowd again, and they left the bedroom, walking in opposite directions to keep up appearances.


	12. Chapter 12

July 4, 2007

Fireworks boomed in the sky above them, illuminating their faces with red, blue, and orange as the four of them sat upon a blanket in Central Park. It was Jack's idea, and for some reason none of them said no for the first time in years. Karen sat with her back against Jack's chest as he wrapped his arms around her from behind, snuggling close to her hair. It was hot and sticky, but Jack had just broken up with his boyfriend and wanted to feel close, so she obliged. It was hard to say no to his big, blue eyes anyway.

"I wish Leo was here. Who would even need a doctor on the Fourth of July?" Grace rolled her eyes in frustration, and they all looked at her as if the answer were obvious.

"I don't know, Grace, maybe all the idiots blowing themselves up with fireworks?" Will's response gained him a slap on the shoulder from Grace. He smiled, rubbing his shoulder a bit. "Vince is working too. Apparently cops are also in high demand tonight."

"I'm glad you are all happy and coupled up. Be glad you weren't just dumped." Jack pouted snuggling closer to Karen in his arms. She looked up and patted his cheek with her hand, pouting out her bottom lip as well.

"It's okay, Poodle. You're going to find someone when you least expect it. Maybe we should take a little walk and scout out the area?" He nodded, squeezing her one last time before standing to take a walk. Karen began to go with him, but was stopped by Grace's words.

"I'll go with you. I'm a magnet for gays." Grace stood as well, and suddenly Karen and Will found themselves alone together, watching their friends rush away into the crowd as another round of fireworks exploded above them.

"Sometimes I think they try to leave us alone together as a joke." Will chuckled at his own words, causing Karen to smile.

"Because we're supposed to hate each other?"

"I think so." He shrugged, smiling wider when she reached into their picnic basket and pulled out a bottle of wine. It always amused him that she had a hiding place for a bottle of wine in any circumstance.

"We've done really well these past few years, honey. We almost give the illusion that I'm not a complete bitch and you don't have a boring personality." She raised an eyebrow, taking a drink directly from the bottle. He chuckled, knowing she was baiting him, but he liked it when she did that. It was their way of flirting since the days they had different ways to spend time together.

"Listen, I want to ask your opinion on something."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. You're the only one who will be honest with me." She took another drink quickly, hoping he wasn't asking her to feel anything too real. They had kept a pretty close friendship since she got back with Stan, since their affair had ended, but there was never a moment that he didn't make her a little nervous when he spoke in seriousness. "I want to ask Vince to marry me."

"Oh…" She was not expecting him to say that, and she had to react quickly. "Honey, I think that's wonderful!"

"Really? You don't think it's too soon?"

"I'm not the person to answer that question, but no. You two are great together, honey, go for it." He smiled, glad she reacted positively, but also seemed a bit sad at the same time. "What's holding you back?"

"Did you just ask me a real question?" She shrugged, taking another drink of her wine. She began to think the bottle would be empty faster than she had expected at the rate she was going.

"Well I'm curious about your mating rituals now that you're monogamous and fully gay again." Her words held a bit of bitterness, but he ignored her tone. She was trying not to let on to the fact that she was somehow slightly bothered by him proposing to Vince, even though she had absolutely no reason to be anything other than happy for her friend.

"I don't know. There are times when we're together, and I'm so happy and want to be with him for the rest of my life. Then there are other times when I just want him to give me some space and pick up after himself around the apartment. He's annoying , and I love him all at the same time." She laughed sincerely, pushing past everything in her brain that she wanted to say to him.

"Honey, it sounds like you're already married. All of what you just said is marriage; you may as well make it official." She smiled, and after a moment of contemplation he smiled in return, reaching for her hand, which she gladly allowed him to take. Fireworks continued to explode late into the night, as their friends joined them again with snacks they bought at a tent set up in the park.

Karen entered her dark manse, feeling hot and sticky from being outside in the heat, but also shivering at the air conditioner as she ascended the stairs. She found Stan sleeping when she entered the bedroom, and she quietly made her way to the closet to change into her pajamas before heading to the bathroom to brush her teeth and prepare for bed. She had invited Stan to join her for the fireworks, but just like every other time she wanted him to go somewhere with her, he declined. She sometimes felt that he thought the things she did with her friends weren't high class enough for him to join, as if she were somehow slumming to a lower class mentality whenever she went somewhere with her friends.

She washed her face, feeling refreshed as she wiped away her makeup and the sweat from the evening. It was too hot to be outdoors, but they stayed all the way until the end. It was obvious that none of them wanted to go home, all for completely different reasons. That was one thing she loved about her friends; they all were clearly having problems in their relationships or personal lives, but they were able to put it all aside and just be together. They distracted one another when they knew they needed it the most, and for that she was thankful.

After completing her bedtime preparations, Karen turned off the bathroom light and made her way to her side of the bed. She got under the covers, keeping her distance from her husband, as he tended to sleep very hot, and she was still cooling down. She lay down upon her pillow and began to think, about her life, her friends, her marriage; everything was spinning in her head, and she wasn't nearly as in control of her thoughts as she would have liked to be.

It had been a little over a year and a half since she last shared a bed with Will; her bed, to be exact. She recalled that he had occupied the place in which her husband was lying at that very moment, which made her feel sad and confused at the same time. She hated herself for wishing it were him next to her instead of Stan. It wasn't right for her to feel that way, and it wasn't fair to anyone, particularly her husband.

When Will had told her he was proposing to Vince, she nearly stopped breathing. She thought she covered herself well, but her heart felt cold and oddly jealous at his confession. If he had asked her to leave her husband and go away with him, she would do it in a heartbeat, no questions asked. He was right about her marriage with Stan, it was awful and boring, and she was ready once again to move on from him. She wished she had chosen Will instead…

Then she had to remind herself why choosing him wasn't an option; he was gay, and it would never actually work between them. At least she knew how to keep Stan moderately happy, or at least she knew how to keep him coming home to her every night, but she missed the passion she shared with Will. They knew how to make each other's hearts beat in a way that she had never experienced in her life, with anyone else.

And, in the wee hours of morning as she laid in bed next to her husband, Karen realized that she had feelings for Will. No matter how hard she tried to keep herself from falling, she had indeed fallen for him. No wonder she had such a difficult time putting their affair behind her, she thought. No wonder she wasn't happy with her husband: she was in love with someone else.

She rolled over and sighed, angry with herself for what she had become. She decided in that moment that she was done having feelings for him. Her main focus was going to be her husband, with whom she would spend the rest of her life trying to make happy. It was foolish of her to think she had any other option.


	13. Chapter 13

November 2017

Death had always been easy for her to handle. She wasn't afraid of death, and she had so much experience with those around her passing away since she was a young girl that it almost felt routine at times. Her mother had passed away a few years prior, and she was left with her only family being her sister, Gin, who very rarely came around. She was never one to be close to her blood relatives, her actual family. Instead, Karen had found family in her friends and those who truly wanted to spend time with her, which was few and far between, if she had to be honest.

Rosario's death was not just another funeral she was obligated to attend. Rosario's death shook her completely to the core of her being, rocking her soul from her body for a moment when she heard the news. Rosario was not just her maid. Sometimes Karen thought she was her only true friend in the world, and she absolutely adored everything about her. She never showed her friendship in normal ways, as that would have been unacceptable for her to treat a maid with much respect, but the amount of time they spent together talking and sharing secrets with one another were some of the best moments in her entire life. And now the best friend she had ever known was gone.

She was thankful for Will, who had hugged her when she needed it the most and suggested she go back into the funeral parlor after everyone else had left. She was able to gain some kind of closure from the final moments she spent with her maid, even though she knew her words were falling on ears that could not listen. After what felt like hours sitting in silence by the casket, her friends approached her, bringing her out of her daze. Jack held her hand as they walked out of the funeral home, to her limo where they would all be dropped off at their apartment building before Karen would return to her manse, cold and quiet and lonely.

They had all said their goodbyes, and after a sobering ride across town, she finally made it home. Stan was always uncomfortable around large life events, so whenever there was a wedding, birth of a child, funeral, any kind of celebration of death or life, he would suddenly whisk himself away on a "business trip" that lasted way longer than any of his real ones. Karen was disgusted with him for his reaction. It would have been different if it were any of their other maids, but Rosario was more than that, to both of them. While she had been Karen's best friend over the years, she had also taken care of Stan in ways that were more than part of her job description. For a man who didn't believe in therapists, he certainly did a fair share of talking with their maid in a way that Karen felt sounded pretty therapeutic at times. She thought he could have at least shown some respect.

She couldn't move from the entryway of the manse, looking at the circular table that accented the center of the room. Beverly Leslie had sent some flowers to her home, which sat in a large vase on top of the table. Even though she usually thought he was a complete pest, it was a very kind gesture. She took off her large coat and hung it in the closet, sighing at the fact that Rosie would have helped her with her coat had she been there. Life was simply never going to be the same.

She had sent the rest of the staff home for a couple of days, allowing them to attend the funeral as well as some time off to grieve. As much as she wanted to think Rosario was all hers, she knew for a fact that she was the motherly figure of all of her staff, and she didn't have the heart to not allow them the time to deal with her sudden departure. A knock on the door brought her out of her spell, and she vaguely wondered if she had actually heard a knock or if she were simply imagining things while wishing she wasn't alone.

"What are you doing here, honey?" She opened the door to find a pair of dark brown eyes staring into hers, making her shiver at the amount of emotion she saw.

"I don't know, honestly. I just saw the look you had in your eyes, and I didn't want you to be alone." She couldn't speak, couldn't even move, all she wanted to do was cry at his words.

"Will…I…thank you." She looked to the ground, unsure of what else she could possibly say to him. "I'm afraid I won't be much for conversation."

"That's okay. We don't have to talk at all if you don't want to." She smiled and met his eyes once more, her heart suddenly full after being empty and hurt for so long. Her husband hadn't even called to check on her all day, not even so much as a text message, but Will had traveled across town after she had been a complete bitch all day, just to be by her side, even in silence if she wanted.

She couldn't control herself even if she had wanted to, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him hard on the mouth. She couldn't have said if he was taken by surprise or not, but his arms were quickly around her waist, and he backed her further into the room to close the door behind him. In that instant it was as if all of the years without each other's touch had sent them to another time and space, deep, passionate kisses were shared as their hands explored territory they had left behind so long ago. She pulled him toward the stairs with her, but they both tripped over the corner of the rug under their feet, falling to the ground together.

They didn't even stop their actions, she rolled them over and unbuckled his pants, pulling them down to his knees as she freed his body from the confines of the black suit pants he was still wearing. She kissed him again, her tongue finding his quickly as his hands pulled her panties down her legs. She kicked them off over her feet, not even bothering to take her shoes off, before she pulled up her skirt and made their connection, moving her hips almost immediately. She sat up and rode him hard, feeling the delicate fabric of her thigh high stockings ripping as her knees moved against the floor, but she didn't care. She didn't care about anything that wasn't him at the moment.

He sat up and rolled them over so he was on top, feeling her legs wrap around him tightly as he plowed into her body. She clung to him, almost desperately as they felt themselves nearing their climax. He bit her bottom lip in pleasure as her body released, pulsating around him. A heavy sigh escaped her lips, almost a moan, but he thought it sounded more delicate than that. She ran her hands through his hair, pulling him into a deep kiss once again as she met his thrusts, feeling him release inside of her only moments after she had.

Their kiss continued well through their last waves of pleasure, leaving them unable to pull away from one another. She wasn't sure about him, but she had dreamed of the day they would reunite for years, ever since she had ended things between them. After a moment he pulled away, placing one last kiss to her lips, but never moving his body from their connection. His eyes met hers, confused, but they also had a flash of happiness behind them. She couldn't believe she could still read him after so long.

"This probably isn't what you had in mind when you said we didn't have to talk." He chuckled at her words, connecting their smiles in a kiss before meeting her eyes once more. "I'm sorry I attacked you, honey."

"Are you kidding? I've been waiting years for this moment." She felt a tear fall down her cheek and quickly wiped it a way with her fingertips. She hadn't expected him to miss her half as much as she had missed him, and his words caught her off guard.

"Will you spend the night?"

"Only if it's really what you want."

"Yes." He smiled and pulled out of her body, helping her sit up and stand from the floor before pulling up his pants. He laughed when he saw the rips and tears in her stockings and her hair falling out of its up do, as it was rare that anyone saw her in a moment where she did not look completely put together. She reached down and picked her panties up off the ground, slapping his shoulder as she walked behind him to lock the door for the night. "You're one to laugh, your hair is a mess and half of my makeup is on your face."

He followed her upstairs to her bedroom, closing the door behind them as she went to the bathroom to tidy herself. After a moment of looking around, he decided nothing much had changed since the last time he was there. It hardly looked different at all, even with her husband's belongings in the room, the thought of which made him cringe a bit. He kicked off his shoes and began to remove his clothes for bed.

Karen finished taking down her hair and washing her face before finding a nightgown to wear, smiling at her reflection before she made her way back to her bedroom. Part of her thought he may leave, and she wouldn't have necessarily blamed him for that, but his eyes met hers as she entered the bedroom, and her heart melted. He was fumbling with plugging in his cell phone to charge, but finally got it and sat it upon the bedside table.

"How are you holding up?" She shrugged, her bare feet feeling chilled against the carpet as she walked closer to him.

"Not very well until you got here. I still can't believe you're here, honey." He moved closer and wrapped her in a hug, which she returned more than willingly.

"I'm never going to be able to stop myself from caring about you." She pulled back enough to look into his eyes, smiling softly. "Though I did think we would probably just watch a movie or something."

"Do you want to watch a movie?" He smiled, shaking his head.

"Actually, I'd like to take you to bed and make up for lost time, if you're okay with that?" She smiled widely, nodding before he placed another kiss upon her lips. "Also, I'd like to take your clothes off this time."


	14. Chapter 14

November 2017 continued…

Karen awoke after a peaceful slumber in Will's arms, naked and wrapped in his caring embrace. She felt better from the day before, knowing she would once she was actually able to sleep. Being in Will's arms was certainly an added bonus. She smiled, rolling over to face him as he continued to sleep. She had thought her feelings for him were gone after all of the years she worked to push them away, but one kiss was all it took to bring her back. She was a little worried what the future held for them; she was also worried that she didn't feel guilty at all for cheating on her husband. She recalled the immense guilt and regret she felt when she and Will made love for the very first time, and she was married to the same man then too.

She didn't want to think about it too much, but she was worried that she would not be able to stop if he wanted to continue an affair with her. If she had to be honest, she would drop her entire life in an instant if he asked her to run away with him tomorrow. Though, she had to remind herself, that was never going to happen; he was still gay and she was still married. The same things that stood in their way twelve years ago when they had stopped seeing one another were still there. Time did not look like it was going to change a thing for them, and that was something else she had to think about. She sighed, wishing things didn't have to be so difficult.

"Would you stop that?" His words caught her off guard, as she didn't even realize he was awake. He opened his sleepy eyes and looked into hers, causing her to smile. "I swear I can hear you thinking."

"You would have already left if you could, honey."

"That bad? I thought we were pretty incredible last night. Surely I haven't lost my touch." She chuckled, placing a small kiss upon his lips. She loved how he could take a heavy moment and add a lightness to it. Not many could do that with her, but he did it with ease.

"No, you were pretty remarkable, as usual." He ran a hand through her hair, resting on the side of her face as he looked into her hazel eyes.

"Do you regret it?"

"No. Actually, that's one of the things that's bothering me the most. I don't even feel guilty at all." Her brow furrowed, showing him the first sign that she had aged in the past twelve years, as two lines appeared deeper between her eyes than they had last time he laid with her like that.

"I mean, he did leave you to deal with everything alone. Has he even checked in?"

"I don't want to talk about him." She shook her head, still angry at how her husband had acted toward her. "I think I would be okay if he decided not to come back, honestly."

"And then we could run away into the sunset?"

"Well, yeah, didn't you bring your white horse?" He laughed, her sense of humor was missed on a lot of people, but he loved it. She always knew how to make him laugh; she also knew how to make him incredibly angry as well, as if she knew every single one of his buttons she could push. If he had to be honest, he knew all of hers too. They could be volatile together if they wanted to be.

"Should I make something for breakfast?"

"Can we go out instead, honey? I'm really sick of this house."

"Of course. I know a quiet place near my apartment. You could come over after and hang out today, if you want?" She smiled, wanting nothing more than to spend the day with him.

"I have to shower first." She sat up, running her fingers through her messy hair before looking back to him. "Care to join me?"

His lips trailed down her neck, causing her to gasp as his teeth grazed her collarbone before moving back to her lips, his tongue tapping hers with urgency. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him close as they made out like teenagers on his couch. They had returned from breakfast to find the apartment empty, and they took the rare opportunity to lock the door and take advantage of one another. His hands caressed her breasts over her dress before moving down to her thigh, pushing beneath the fabric of her dress to caress her backside.

A loud knock on the door caused them to jump, meeting each other's eyes in surprise as they removed themselves from the couch and straightened out their clothes. Karen hurried to the mirror to fix her hair and her lipstick, stopping to wipe Will's mouth with her thumb before returning to the couch and picking up her phone, as if she had been sitting there the whole time. Will sighed to compose himself, before opening the door. Grace burst in with arms full of sandwiches from the deli down the street, obviously unable to open the door for herself. They were thankful, as she would have seen a sight that scarred her if she had been able to enter on her own. It was a reminder that they needed to be careful if they were going to be together again.

"Grace, honey, did you rob that place?" Grace rushed to the table, tossing all of the sandwiches down and shaking out her arms from carrying them all the way home.

"No, someone was using them to cater a party, but they decided last minute to go with someone else. They were giving these away for free!" The excitement in Grace's eyes caused her to chuckle, looking back down at her phone while Will approached their friend.

"What are we going to do with, however many sandwiches that is?"

"Thirty-five. And we're going to eat them for every meal until we can't anymore."

"How on earth did you carry thirty-five sandwiches for three blocks?" He walked to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water, still heated from the antics taking place prior to Grace's arrival.

"You look like you carried them. Why are you sweating?" Karen began to laugh, knowing Will was not at all prepared to answer that question in his state.

"Oh, honey, you should have seen it! I walked in and Wilma had music blaring and was doing some kind of dance. It was ridiculous!" She cackled, tossing her head back as she would had it been true.

"I see I should have locked the door sooner." Will rolled his eyes, walking to the couch to sit on the far end from Karen, not wanting to sit too close, since they weren't supposed to like each other. Grace tossed a sandwich upon both of their laps and sat between them.

"Well, I made lunch!" They groaned as Grace opened her sandwich and began making a mess of herself, meeting one another's eyes with small smiles as they realized their friends really never would suspect a thing.


	15. Chapter 15

March 2018

Seeing them together made her feel like a crazy person. She didn't know why it was so different than him being with Vince, that never bothered her, but seeing him with Michael was something different. Or perhaps her feelings for him were so much different than they had been when he was with Vince. The worst part was, she knew he had no idea how she felt, and she knew she had no right to be so jealous. She was married, after all. It wasn't as if she were being faithful to him in any way.

She could feel his eyes on her from across the office, but continued thumbing through her magazine as if she didn't notice. Grace was going to be heading off for a meeting soon, and she knew he would want to talk; she had been sensing it all morning with the way he had been keeping an eye on her. And, as she knew would happen, Grace left in a flutter of bad taste and giant hair, leaving them alone. It wasn't that she didn't want to talk to him, she simply didn't have a viable explanation for why she rushed away after he told her about Michael. In all honesty, she was hurt at his words and needed to get out quickly, but she didn't want him to know that.

After a moment of trying to ignore him, she felt his hands upon her shoulders from behind, massaging her tense muscles. A sigh escaped her lips at the feeling. She was apparently much more tense than she had expected, and his hands felt amazing to her. He leaned down and kissed the side of her neck as he continued, taking in her scent.

"Are you okay?" His words were simple, but she had no idea how to answer them. Of course she was okay, her mind was simply a little heavy for her liking.

"Yeah, honey. Why?"

"You kind of ran away last night, and you've barely said a word today. Did I do something to upset you?" She smiled at how sweet he sounded, leaning forward a bit more as his fingers began rubbing the back of her neck.

"No, I've just been a little tired."

"I thought maybe it was because I started dating Michael again." She didn't mean to tense her body any more than it already was, but apparently he felt it at the sound of his boyfriend's name, as his hands stopped moving. "That's it, isn't it?"

"I don't know what you think I'm supposed to say, honey." She turned to face him, hoping to end the conversation by giving him the talk he wanted. "I'm married; I don't really have any right to feel one way or the other about you and Michael."

"You could at least be a little jealous." He shrugged, wishing she would just say what she was thinking instead of hiding behind words.

"I'm a jealous person, Will. Of course I'm jealous, but it doesn't solve anything."

"I get jealous of Stan sometimes." He sat upon the edge of her desk, hoping to show her that it was okay to feel with his own words. She chuckled, picking up an emery board and beginning to file her nails.

"You shouldn't, honey. I definitely come to your bed more than I do his."

"It's not just the sex."

"Isn't that our whole point?"

"No, I like talking and spending time with you too. Sometimes I get jealous that he's the one you always go home to." She met his eyes, finally paying him the attention he was wanting. She was surprised at his words, wondering what exactly he was trying to get her to say.

"You like me, honey?" He laughed, taking her hand in his.

"I mean, I don't dislike you." She rolled her eyes as he tried to keep their conversation light, but he still hadn't asked her the question he was trying to. "It's different with us this time, isn't it?"

"Yes, but I don't know why."

"We're old now."

"Speak for yourself!" He laughed, and she stood to step into his embrace, looking into his brown eyes. "What are you trying to ask me, honey?"

"Do you want me to be exclusive to you this time?"

"I can't answer that." He pulled her closer when she tried to walk away, knowing she would never tell him her true feelings without some pressure. "What about the whole gay aspect of your life? You would just stop being who you've been for your entire life to screw around with me? That sounds crazy, honey."

"Would you leave Stan to be with me if I asked you to?" She knew she would, if he were really serious she would leave her husband for him in a heartbeat.

"I don't think you're ready for that kind of lifestyle change, honey. Fun conversation though." She stepped free from his embrace before he could pull her back to him, stepping over to the mini-fridge to begin making a martini. He stood from the desk and walked toward her, smiling when she met his eyes with a nervous look. It was obvious that she was not prepared for their conversation, and he wasn't going to push it any more than he already had.

"You want to come over later? Grace has a date at seven." She nodded, taking a sip of her drink.

"Absolutely."

It wasn't long before Will broke up with Michael. She was thankful Jack was the one who stepped in and helped him make the decision, as she was not even close to being in a position to have an opinion. What she did know was that he was all hers for the moment, and no matter how much she tried to pretend she didn't care, she liked that she didn't have to share him. However, she could not get the conversation they had in Grace's office off her mind. She was seeing Will later that evening, and she was thinking she wanted to explore that conversation a little more. They hadn't been seeing one another again for long, but it felt as if time had suspended, and the time apart didn't exist.

She had asked Stan for a divorce, just before she was due to leave for Will's apartment. She couldn't have said why she decided to do it at that moment, but she was simply finished being married to him. Their relationship had always been strained, but she didn't realize how much she was missing from her marriage until she started seeing Will again. The feelings and emotions he gave her were more powerful than anything she had ever experienced with her husband, and she was ready to let him go for good.

She opened the door of Will's apartment, not expecting Grace to still be there. She was apparently running late for her date, but was moving quickly and on her way out soon. Karen had hoped Will would be alone, as she was not necessarily in the proper mental state for conversation with anyone else.

"Hey Karen, what are you doing here?" Will played as if he didn't know she was arriving, pretending the food in the oven wasn't a dinner for them to share.

"Well, I came to see Jack, but he and one of his boy toys are watching some sappy chick-flick, and I can't stomach that. I came to see what you two were up to instead." Grace rushed around, grabbing her jacket and pushing past Karen.

"I'm on my way out. Sorry I couldn't stay longer! I'll text you later?" Grace slapped Karen's backside as she hurried through the door, effectively leaving her alone with Will.

"What's going on?" He moved closer, placing a kiss upon her lips in greeting. He looked into her eyes, but frowned as he looked closer. She had a bruise on her cheekbone that was covered with a large amount of makeup, but he could still see it. He reached up to touch her face, angry. "Again?"

"Don't look at me like that, honey." Her words were soft, and she felt as if she were going to cry. "I asked him for a divorce."

"And he couldn't say no without putting his hands on you?" He was very angry, she had expected he would be, but she also didn't know what else to say. It was no secret between them that Stan got aggressive with her from time to time. That evening was different though, if she had to think about it. When he would get physical, it would be a quick slap or a shove, it was never enough for her to worry that he would truly harm her. She knew it sounded crazy, but she really did not feel unsafe whenever she was with him. However, that evening when she had asked for a divorce, something snapped inside of him, and she saw a different man for the first time. He began yelling and arguing with her, which was usual, but at a moment that she did not expect it, the back of his hand connected with her face so hard that she lost her balance, and her body slammed against the wall behind her. She was dizzy and felt sick immediately, as she had never been hit that hard. Her eyesight went white for a moment before he grabbed her by the shoulders and yelled in her face. She couldn't recall a word that he said before he left her alone in the library, completely lost.

"He was different this time."

"What, he asked permission first?" She met his eyes in frustration, wishing he wouldn't take his own anger out on her.

"You know what, honey, I'm going to go." She began to walk out the door, but he stopped her by taking her shoulders in his hands. He turned her to face him again, placing a gentle kiss upon her lips.

"I'm sorry. I'm just so angry, I want to go to your house." She shook her head, knowing that would not go over well. "What do you want me to do?"

"Well first, we're going to eat supper. And after that, you're going to fuck his wife in ways that he only wishes he could."

"I'd still like to go over there."

"Trust me, honey. It'll hurt him a lot worse if we stay here."


	16. Chapter 16

May 2018

He was angry with her, she could tell. Jack had found out about her annual affair with Malcolm, and when Will found out, he was livid. He didn't say anything to her about it, even though she knew he was dying to, but she could tell by his passive-aggressive attitude that he was not going to be able to let it go. The most frustrating part of it all was that she was breaking things off with Malcolm that weekend, they didn't even make love once. She was going to end things between them because of her relationship with Will, but he wasn't taking her calls so she hadn't yet had the chance to explain that to him.

The affair had begun years ago when she saw Malcolm at a charity event that Stan had sent her to, alone again. They had made love that very night, and she was not quite ready to let him go. She was not interested in having an affair, however. She had intended to remain faithful to Stan, no matter how increasingly difficult it had become. Malcolm suggested that they see one another annually, the very same weekend every year, and she had agreed. She had agreed simply to have something to look forward to that made her feel alive again.

When she had reconnected with Will, she immediately knew she would not be seeing Malcolm anymore. It was bad enough that she was cheating on her husband at all, but she would not sleep around with multiple men. She had done many things in her life that she wasn't necessarily proud of, but she was not interested in feeling like a slut. If anyone should understand her motives, she thought it would be Will, but suddenly he didn't want to speak with her. She knew it would pass soon enough, but it frustrated her that he wouldn't even hear her out.

She knocked on his door, finding it locked when she tried to open it and let herself in. It was unusual that it was locked, as he expected his friends to burst in unannounced at all hours of the day. It took a moment, but he finally opened the door and met her eyes. She gave a small smile, wishing the look on his face wasn't so harsh. It was difficult to tell if he was alone, but it was obvious that his mind had been working heavily.

"What are you doing here?" His words weren't angry, but his tone was far from happy to see her. It wasn't one she expected from him when they were alone, and she immediately had her guard up.

"Are you alone?" He nodded, crossing his arms over his chest, but not offering to invite her in. "You won't take my calls."

"I've been busy."

"Bullshit, you're avoiding me." He looked to the ground, taking his harsh gaze away from her hazel eyes. "Can we have a conversation, honey?"

"I know I'm not supposed to have any right to be upset with you, but I am so pissed right now."

"Let's not do this in the hallway." He stepped to the side, finally allowing her to enter his apartment. As soon as she was inside, he slammed the door, causing her to jump and turn around quickly to meet his gaze. "What the hell?"

"You called things off with me years ago because you wanted to be faithful to your husband, and I find out that you decided to have an affair with Malcolm instead of me? How long did that go on, Karen?" He said her name with an edge, his voice harsh and dripping with venom.

"Ten years."

"Ten years? Where the hell was I?"

"Stop it." Her words were a warning, meeting the harshness of his own, and he stopped his rant before it even started, finally listening. "I didn't want to have an affair, I wanted something meaningless to look forward to once a year. I wouldn't have been able to do that with you, honey."

"Then why did you see him now that you're seeing me again?"

"I met him to break it off. Will, I'm not screwing around with a bunch of people, you're the only one I want." He walked past her, not quite ready to let go of his frustration. She watched him pace in front of the couch for a moment, unsure that she had really wanted to say that to him, but it was the truth. "Honey, I'm sorry I hurt you."

"No…I'm sorry, I was overstepping. I know I have no claim to you, but I can't stand the thought of…" He was cut off by her kiss, pressed gently against his lips. She didn't want to hear his excuses, or anything that would indicate feelings of any kind toward her, she simply wanted him to not be angry with her so they could move on. Her lips moved softly, slowly against his, and she felt him wrap his arms around her after a moment. She smiled against his mouth, renewing the kiss and pressing her body closer to his, her pelvis moving against his until she felt him beginning to grow hard.

Her teeth sank into his bottom lip gently before she teased his tongue with her own, moving one of her hands over his chest and downward over his stomach. She felt him sigh into her mouth when she ran her hand over the front of his jeans, rubbing him through the fabric that she knew would be removed soon enough. Suddenly she squeezed him harshly in her hand, causing him to wince and pull away from their kiss. Her lips touched his earlobe as she continued to hold him tightly.

"Don't you ever ignore my calls again." He nodded quickly, and she released him from her grip, gently rubbing him once again through his pants. He met her eyes, unsure if he was prepared to trust her hands at the moment. She pecked his lips and moved her kiss to his neck, her teeth nipping at his collarbone as her other hand moved to his belt. She worked quickly to unbuckle his belt and pants, pushing them down his legs as she pulled away from his neck, leaving a small hickey for him to find later. She kneeled in front of him, resting upon her knees as she pulled his boxers down to meet his pants. Without missing a beat, she took him fully into her mouth, her hands pulling him close by his backside.

"Karen…" She looked up to meet his eyes at the sound of her name, taking him in again slowly so he could watch himself disappear into her mouth. She moved her tongue around his shaft as she pulled away, placing pressure on the underside of him as she applied suction, causing him to gasp. His hands touched her hair, but she slapped him away, as she was in control and he would not be messing up her hair. He chuckled, but was again taken by a mixture of pure pleasure and the sight of the scene playing out before him. He couldn't believe Karen Walker was on her knees in front of him; such a powerful woman in his life, and her only concern at the moment was pleasuring him.

She continued to take him in and out, speeding up her pace as she felt him becoming more tense in her hands. She was ready for him to release, but he moved away and pulled her up to his mouth, kissing her roughly as he backed toward the couch, sitting and reaching up her dress to pull her panties down her legs. He pulled her onto him, entering her quickly as she straddled him, causing her to gasp at his rough movements. Her body bounced on top of him as he thrust upward, and she tilted her head back, feeling his hands move up her bare legs. One hand gripped her hip as the other touched between her legs, as he knew he was already much closer to the edge than she was.

They came in unison, the tight connection and friction between them finally too much to handle anymore. She clung to him, her hips moving against him until the last waives of pleasure subsided. His fingers dug into the flesh of her hips, his lips placing gentle kisses upon her neck as they came down from their high. It took them a moment to let go of one another, his arms holding her tightly as if he were afraid she would disappear.

"Are you okay, honey?" He smiled at her words and pulled back enough to look into her eyes. She kissed his lips, returning his smile. "Are you still mad at me?"

"No." He laughed, still not allowing her to move from his lap and break their connection. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I promise, I have no more surprises." She held three fingers in the air as if she were reciting a Girl Scout pledge, and he chuckled, pulling her close for one more kiss before allowing her to move from his lap. He stood from the couch and pulled up his pants as she found her panties on the ground. He kissed her once more, causing her to smile at how affectionate he was acting. Not that they weren't always affectionate with one another, it felt sweeter for some reason. Suddenly the door swung open, and they jumped apart as if they had been burnt.

"Will, I'm in crisis!" Jack burst through the door, slamming it behind him. Karen hid her panties behind her back, and she could feel the tension radiating from Will's body. They were moments away from being caught. "Karebear, thank goodness you're here too! I went to get a soup and sandwich combo at the café down the street, and you will never guess what happened…" His story continued as he went to the kitchen and started rifling through the refrigerator.

"We didn't lock the door." Will's whisper was quiet, and they met each other's eyes with shock. In all of the times they had been together, they had never once been so careless. She had to wonder what they would have done had Jack walked in just a few minutes before he did. After listening to Jack speak for a reasonable amount of time, she was finally able to excuse herself to the bathroom. She had tried to pretend the remnants of the afternoon's passion weren't slowly dripping down her thighs.

As she cleaned herself up and put her panties back on, she found her hands were shaking, just slightly. If Jack had been more perceptive, he would've noticed their flushed cheeks, her makeup that was smeared, and the fact that both she and Will were slightly out of breath and nervous. As she looked in the mirror one final time, she knew they needed to decide if they were ever going to tell their friends, or if they simply needed to be more careful.


	17. Chapter 17

December 31, 2018

It was so reminiscent of their first night together, she had to smile. Will and Grace had decided to have a New Year's Eve party for the first time in over fifteen years, since the first time she and Will had made love, and she surprised herself with how excited she was. She and Will had spent the entire summer together, sneaking off here and there, making excuses to skip out on group events to be together. When Stan had asked her for a divorce, she was shocked, but she was very excited to know that she would finally be free of him. After years of trying to get him to agree to separating, he was finally ready on his own terms. It would be a few more months of arguing over who got what in their lives, but she would be a single woman soon enough.

She was sure to wear a purple dress, just like their first night together, and hoped he would notice. When she arrived and he put a glass of champagne in her hand, his smile told her he did remember. It was amazing how different the party was from the last one; Grace had Noah, and Jack had Estefan. Joe and Larry were there, and Rob and Ellen were there as well. Everyone seemed to be paired off as if it were some kind of couples' party, and Karen felt a little out of place as she wondered where all of their single friends were. She and Will were the only ones who were technically single, and she wasn't sure if that had happened by coincidence, or if they truly were the only ones left.

The party itself felt different too. Years ago there was loud music playing, the apartment was exploding with people, and they were all completely drunk. Currently she found herself sitting on the couch with Rob as he spoke about his sciatica acting up more and more as he aged. She was drinking profusely, so that much hadn't changed, but her reasoning had. It was unclear how she ended up with her current company, but she ended their conversation by simply walking away. She heard him scoff behind her, but she was not turning back. Instead of finding someone else to speak to, she walked to the bathroom to have a moment to herself.

It was only ten o'clock, and she was ready to be done. She didn't necessarily want to go home, but she felt like she needed to run away. She tidied her hair a bit in the mirror before exiting the bathroom, sighing when she saw that the whole group had gathered around the couch and were laughing. After a moment of listening, and refilling her drink, she determined they were poking fun at Will for being the only single one in their group. He was taking it well, but she could tell he was annoyed. He turned and met her eyes, and she gave him a harsh look. She knew he was going to bring her down with him.

"Technically, Karen is single too." He smiled at her when the conversation moved to her, Grace piping in from her place behind him on the couch.

"Nope, she's got a few more months. You're still the only wallflower." Grace's words were taken with laughter from everyone, but she wasn't sure the conversation was very much fun for Will. She walked over to him and sat upon his lap, feeling him wrap his arms around her waist with no hesitation.

"So what I'm hearing is, I'm stuck with you as my New Year's kiss, honey?"

"I'm afraid so. We're the only losers here, from what I understand." She pouted her bottom lip, handing him her glass of wine.

"You'd better catch up to me then. I've already got a pretty good buzz going." He downed her wine, causing everyone to chuckle and move on to a new topic of conversation. She didn't move from his lap, however, even though the joke was far past over. His hands were warm against her skin through the fabric of her dress, and she knew that was what she had needed all night; she needed to be close to him. She suddenly didn't feel lonely or out of place anymore.

The party progressed with jokes and a some fun stories from everyone, mostly reminiscing about the days when they were all younger. Before she knew it she and Will had shared so many glasses of wine that she had lost count, but they were definitely drunk. Grace announced that there were fifteen minutes left until the ball dropped on television; she always seemed way too excited about things of that nature. Karen moved to stand, but Will's lips caught her ear before she could.

"I can't wait to get you alone." She shivered and they stood from the couch, his hand taking hers as they walked toward the television together. She vaguely wondered if he was afraid she would run off and leave him alone this time, but hoped he knew they were in a much better place than they were when she had abandoned him before.

The countdown began, the New Year was approaching, and all of the lovers in the room grabbed ahold of their partners and placed gentle kisses upon their lips. Will and Karen watched, turning to meet one another's eyes. He placed a hand upon her cheek and leaned down to gently brush his lips over hers in a soft kiss, pulling her close with his hand on the small of her back. She sighed as he renewed the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Um, gross." Jack's words caused them to pull away and find confused eyes upon them. They didn't exactly think about anyone watching them at the moment. "Since when do you not hate each other?"

"Wow, honey, we must be really drunk." Her words were directed at Will, who nodded as he pulled away and shrugged toward their friends. He seemed annoyed by the reaction they received, which confused her because she had fully expected their friends to be horrified at the sight of them sitting together on the couch, let alone touching one another.

"I would say!" Jack took her hand and pulled her into a hug. "I think that means it's time for you to call it a night, Karebear."

The party ended fairly quickly after midnight as the other couples left for their own homes. Estefan and Jack bid their farewells and went to his apartment while Will, Karen, Grace, and Noah were left to clean up the apartment. Karen surprised herself by actually helping; Will was washing glasses and she was drying and putting them away. She had pretended she had the intention of leaving in front of their friends, and Will made sure to invite her to spend the night on their couch instead of going home. They went back and forth for a moment before she agreed, putting on the show that they always did.

He collapsed on top of her, their sweaty bodies glistening in the pale light of the moon. They had finally been left alone, and he took the opportunity to rush her into his room and finally have her to himself. She smiled as he pulled away from their kiss, his body still resting heavily between her legs and their connection strong. His fingers caressed her cheek, so gently she could have sworn he was afraid he would never see her again. If she had to be honest, that feeling scared her a bit.

"Are you okay, honey?" Her words came in a whisper, not wanting to disrupt the quiet in the room. He pulled out and lay next to her, pulling her close to rest her face against his chest. She wrapped her arm around his stomach and held him close, just in case it really was the last time she could.

"I want to tell them about us." She sighed in relief, so glad he wasn't calling things off between them, but she was taken aback by the idea of taking things in that direction with him. Once their friends found out, the dynamic between the four of them would most certainly change. "I'm so tired of not being able to kiss you whenever I want, or having to wait until everyone is asleep before I can bring you to bed."

"Will, I would like that, but…" She didn't know how to finish without sounding harsh. She wanted to remind him that they weren't a couple, that he was gay, and it would be silly to pretend anything real could ever happen between them. She leaned up to look into his eyes, hoping to soften her meaning with eye contact. "What exactly are we? I mean, are you talking about an actual relationship between us? Do you really think that would work?"

"I don't know…"

"If we don't know, then I don't think we should tell them, honey." He sat up, tossing his legs over the side of the bed and running his hands over his face, but not moving to stand. She couldn't determine his emotion, but she felt as if he were angry, perhaps even with her. She didn't move to touch him just in case he was angry with her. She merely sat and watched him for a moment, unsure of what she was supposed to say. "I'm sorry if I upset you."

"It isn't you." He didn't continue, but she was at least relieved that her words weren't the cause of his mood.

"You know you can talk to me."

"Karen…I love you." She thought she had imagined his words, as he didn't move to acknowledge what he had just said. Her heart was racing, she didn't know what was happening. After what felt like hours, he turned to look into her eyes. He frowned and reached forward to wipe a tear from her cheek; she didn't even realize she had begun to cry. She sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, trying her best to hide her emotion.

"Please don't say that unless you mean it."

"I do mean it. I'm completely freaked out by it, but I love you." She hurried from the bed, searching for the pajamas he had let her borrow and trying to dress quickly. "What's wrong?"

"Are you kidding?" She struggled with the buttons of the shirt, her hands shaking as she tried to dress herself. "This is insane."

"Why, because I'm gay? I have never met a man who makes me feel like I feel about you. Maybe I haven't been very lucky with men because you and I are supposed to be together." She stepped into her panties and hurried to find her pants, which she finally found on the floor at the foot of the bed. He stepped in front of the door when she tried to leave, knowing she was one to run away when a conversation got too real.

"Will, I need to go."

"No, please stay. I want to know how you feel so I don't sit here thinking I've just ruined everything."

"Honey, you haven't, I promise." She tried again to move past him, but he placed his hands upon her arms, holding her in front of him and desperately looking into her hazel eyes for an answer. She couldn't stop herself anymore. "Damn it, Will, I've loved you since we broke things off the first time. I would have dropped everything in my entire life for you right then if you had asked me to. Do you really not know that?"

"…no, I didn't know that." Tears were falling freely from her eyes, as she was unable to stop them. She noticed his eyes well up too, and she smiled shortly.

"I never thought you would feel the same. Honey, this is so crazy." She wiped her tears, and he moved forward to kiss her hard upon the lips. He pulled away after a moment, holding her close with his hands upon her face.

"Does this mean you'll be my girlfriend?" She laughed at his words, knowing he was trying to lighten the moment. The occasion should have been a happy one, but there they were crying in one another's arms.

"Haven't I always been?"


	18. Chapter 18

January 2019

Grace was working across the office, deeply focused on the sketches before her, which left Karen to her own thoughts for a time. She and Will had decided not to tell their friends about them until they had found the best way to do so without an argument breaking out. Her only request was that they wait until her divorce was final, as she wanted a clean break from Stan without any additional drama of a new relationship. Her social circle would most definitely be abuzz with gossip, and she was hoping to avoid losing her social standing any more than she would from her divorce. For some reason, it was still important to her to feel superior to her high society contacts.

She finished her martini, sighing in satisfaction as the liquid left a slight burn in her throat. She still couldn't believe he loved her, it felt so surreal. For years she had imagined the moment he spoke the words to her, but she never thought it would become a reality. And she had no idea what it would mean for their future. Would they simply start dating and going to movies like a regular couple would? She felt the time had passed for that, since they had already been sleeping together for a long while. She was mostly afraid of what their relationship would mean for their friendship with Grace and Jack. She didn't think they would be angry or throw a tantrum…well, maybe they would, if she thought a little harder. Jack would get over everything and accept them, she knew that without question. He would be disgusted, but he loved both her and Will enough that he would learn to be okay with things. She was worried that Grace wouldn't have the same reaction.

"Karen, what do you think about Noah?" She was taken from her thoughts by Grace's question, surprising her. She thought her friend was so focused that they wouldn't speak until later in the day.

"Well, he's kind of an ass…I like him." She nodded, standing to refill her glass. "Why, honey?"

"I don't know. He seemed to get along with everyone so well at our New Year's party, that it kind of freaked me out. I mean, you all hated Leo from the beginning."

"Ugh, he was an arrogant idiot. The whole cheating on you thing didn't help." She decided against another martini, leaving the glass atop the mini-bar and returning with a bottle of water instead. She had been trying to cut down on her alcohol consumption recently, feeling that if she were going to be in a true relationship with Will, she was not going to let her vices ruin it.

"Even Will likes him and accepted him immediately. That never happens."

"We are getting older too, honey. We just want you to find someone who makes you happy." Grace eyed her suspiciously. "What?"

"Are you drinking water?" She looked at the water bottle and shrugged.

"I just wanted some. Sue me." She sat at her desk, rolling her eyes. Silence took the place of their conversation for a moment, and she took a second to scroll through her phone. She saw she had missed a text message from Will, which happened to say "I love you" and make her heart feel warm, a small smile gracing her lips.

"Would you get married again, after everything you've been through?" Grace's words brought her out of her moment, and she looked up to see the redhead searching her eyes for an answer. She only shrugged.

"I don't know, honey. If the right man came along, I think I would." She eyed her friend suspiciously. "Did Noah ask you to marry him?"

"No! No, he definitely would never ask that. I just can't decide if it's even something I would ever want again." She sighed, clearly having been thinking for a long time about her inquiry. Karen smiled from across the room, so happy to see Grace finally allowing herself to fall for someone after her divorce from Leo.

"You know, honey, you don't have to be married to someone to spend your life with them. Don't put so much pressure on yourself." Grace returned the smile, sighing.

"You're right…I can't believe I'm saying that." She chuckled to herself, and Karen rolled her eyes.

"I do give good advice sometimes, you know." She took another sip of her water, trying to hydrate herself. If she was cutting back on alcohol, she wanted to make sure any form of withdrawal her body would go through wouldn't be obvious on the outside. Will entered the office to take Grace to lunch and chuckled at the sight of his lover cringing as she took a mouthful of water.

"Are you drinking water?" She groaned and rolled her eyes, causing Grace to laugh.

"What the hell; can I not drink water sometimes?" Will walked toward Grace to greet her with a kiss on the cheek, laughing at Karen's aggravation.

"You ready to go to lunch?" She nodded, grabbing her purse.

"Oh wait, I'm going to go to the bathroom first. It's cold outside, I'll have to go as soon as we walk out if I don't now." She rushed to the bathroom, and Will listened for the door to close before he hurried to Karen's desk and placed a long kiss upon her lips, finally able to give her a proper greeting. She sighed, placing her hand upon his cheek and renewing the kiss before he pulled away.

"I've missed you." She smiled at this words, pecking his lips once more.

"It's only been a couple of days since you've seen me. Am I that addictive?"

"I don't know what you've done to me, but I think it would classify as an addiction at this point." She laughed, taking his hand in her own for just a moment before their friend returned. "Will you come over tonight?"

"What if we went to dinner and got a room somewhere instead?" If she had to be honest, their recent declaration of love made her feel inclined to add a sense of normalcy to their relationship, rather than her sneaking over while Grace was out on a date, and sneaking out prior to her return home. Going out together would at least make her feel less like a booty-call, she thought.

"I would love that." She smiled, accepting one more kiss as they heard the door to the bathroom open down the hallway.

"I'll pick you up at six?" He nodded, squeezing her hand as they pulled apart and he went to lunch with Grace. She was excited that they were finally doing something like a couple, and she was equally anxious that the label would add more pressure than she was comfortable with. She was certain it was just her nerves, not to mention her nearly sober state of mind, but she was so concerned she would do something to ruin their relationship. When they were simply fooling around, there wasn't much to worry about because they both knew where they stood with one another. The next level of their relationship was new, and she wanted to make sure he didn't decide he had made a mistake one day.

She sighed, taking another drink of her water as the temptation to grab a bottle of wine became stronger. After a deep breath, she began to calm herself a bit. She was in love, and she was going to do her best to ride that high as long as she could. She was determined to learn from all of her past mistakes and be the best she could for Will.


	19. Chapter 19

February 2019

"I can't believe you attacked Estefan." Will laughed as he helped her untangle the pins from her hair. Her quick and feisty submersion in the pond at the restaurant, not to mention the hour or so of letting herself dry off in Jack's apartment, did nothing for her hair, and it was incredibly tangled. She visited Will after Grace had retired to bed for the evening, and he took her to his bathroom to help. He sat her upon the side of the tub and gently sifted through her hair for any remaining pins.

"Your dead guy thing is worse, honey. Don't throw stones. Ouch!" She turned her head to face him at the feeling of a few strands of hair being pulled out.

"Sorry, that one was really stuck."

"Yeah right." She mumbled as he finally removed her clip and let the rest of her hair down, falling in tangles around her shoulders.

"You really need to condition your hair." He reached forward and turned on the water of his bathtub as she touched her hair, cringing at the feeling beneath her fingertips.

"If we hadn't made up after, I would say it was worth it…It may have still been worth it." He chuckled, grabbing a few things from under his sink and placing them upon the side of the tub. "Am I taking a bath?"

"And spending the night too, I hope." She met his eyes in question. He never asked her to spend the night when they knew Grace was going to be home all night, there was too much of a chance of them getting caught together.

"You really want that, honey?"

"Well, yeah." He shrugged, testing the temperature of the water as the tub filled. He knew she liked bubbles in her bath, but with her hair needing some work, he decided to leave them out. "Your divorce was final last week. I've been waiting for you to say you're ready to tell everyone."

"Is that what you've been so quiet about?" She smiled, glad to have an answer to why he had felt so distant the past week. It was at least relieving that he would eventually tell her what was wrong. All of the men she had been with in the past were not necessarily ones to talk about feelings…though she wasn't either, so she had to try a lot with Will not to seem cold. "Let's talk about how we want to do it, then."

He smiled and placed a gentle kiss upon her lips, reaching behind her and unzipping her dress so she could remove her clothing and step into the warm bath. She sighed as she sat down in the tub, giving Will a look of invitation. He smiled as well and took off his clothes, stepping into the tub behind her and wrapping his arms around her. He took a cup from the side of the bathtub and began pouring water over her hair, working out some of the tangles with his fingers. She obviously didn't need help washing her hair, but his hands were so caring and gentle that she allowed it, never really having someone take care of her in that way.

"I'm torn between having a dinner and telling Grace and Jack together, or we could just be open and start being affectionate in front of them and see how long it takes them to ask." She chuckled, loving the feeling of him washing the conditioner out of her hair before he placed a kiss upon the side of her neck.

"I'm thinking they will notice the first time we touch, so we may as well just tell them, honey." She turned around, straddling his waist as the water sloshed around them. "Besides, I'd like to get it out of the way. I'm tired of sneaking over here just to kiss you."

She awoke in Will's arms, the feeling of pure happiness overtaking her mind at the feeling. He was always so warm when he slept, while she slept chilled and always needed a blanket to hold close. It was as if they perfectly complimented one another, their legs intertwined in a gentle embrace. His chest rose heavily against her back as he awoke, pulling her even closer and placing small kisses upon her bare shoulders. His lips felt hot against her chilled skin, and she pressed herself even closer to him at the feeling. His hand moved over her chest, caressing one of her breasts gently as he moved his kiss to her neck. She felt him growing hard against her back, sighing as his hand slid down her flat stomach and his middle finger began to move circles between her legs.

She turned her head to kiss his lips, his tongue immediately finding hers. If she thought about it, he was the only man she had ever been with who liked to make love in the morning. She loved the fact that he never acted like he was too busy and needed to hurry and get up, and he didn't mind that they hadn't brushed their teeth or showered or anything. There were so many things in her life that she didn't even know she was missing out on until she became involved with him.

His hands moved over her backside, fully turning her toward him, and she continued the movement and rolled him onto his back. Never taking her lips from his, she straddled his waist, taking him in her hand and stroking for just a moment before bringing him into her body. She felt his teeth sink into her bottom lip as she began to move, her hips gently grinding against him. As if he weren't warm enough against her when they slept, the heat he brought between her legs was almost overpowering at times.

As she began to move harder, he released her bottom lip and allowed her to sit upright, her hands upon his chest to keep balance as she rose up and slammed back onto him. He groaned in pleasure, his fingers squeezing her thighs as she continued to move. A smile moved across her lips as she took pride in the fact that she could make him react the way he was, she was the one bringing him the kind of pleasure that made him lose control. Suddenly, he gained the strength to sit up, lifting her with him without ever breaking their connection. He fell deeply into her, eliciting a gasp from her lips as her head fell over the edge of the foot of his bed, her stomach boiling from the new angle.

Suddenly, she screamed in surprise as she opened her eyes to find Grace in the open doorway, a look of complete horror upon her face. Will stopped moving and looked upward to meet his best friend's eyes, which were filled with a mixture of emotions as she tried to understand the scene before her. He quickly pulled out, and they rushed to cover themselves as Grace shook her head and left the room. They met one another's eyes, completely in shock.


	20. Chapter 20

February 2019 continued…

"Grace, I'm so sorry you just walked in on that." He ran out of the bedroom in a pair of pajama pants, hoping he could catch her before she left the apartment. He was surprised that she was waiting on the couch for him, as he had fully expected her to be so angry that she ran.

"What the hell did I just walk in on?" He sat next to her, a look of pure regret upon his face.

"That's not the way we wanted you to find out." Karen stepped slowly out of the bedroom, dressed in a pair of Will's pajamas that she wore whenever she slept over. She was nervous to move closer, afraid she was about to be strangled, or something of a similar nature.

"That you're suddenly not gay anymore? That you two are…" She tossed her hand toward Karen, causing Will to notice she was slowly moving toward him. He reached out and took her hand, giving her the strength to move close and sit next to him upon the couch.

"In love." He was serious, meeting her eyes with meaning. Grace looked between them and began to laugh, unable to believe anything he was saying to her. Karen felt Will's body tense against her as the grip he had on her hand tightened.

"Hey ladies, what's for breakfast? Oh, Karebear, I'm so glad you're here! I have to tell you how long it took me to get the pins out of my hair last night." Jack burst through the door and began making his way to the kitchen, completely oblivious of the tension and scene playing out before him.

"Come over here, Poodle." He turned his head, finally taking note of the way his friends were all sitting. He did as he was told, sitting on the arm of the couch next to Grace, who turned to him in exasperation.

"What's going on?"

"That's a loaded question!" Grace's words were loud, and she still had a tone of laughter lingering in her voice. "I walked in on these two having sex this morning, and Will was just telling me they're apparently in love."

"No, what's really going on?" Jack didn't believe her, but had a disgusted look on his face at the thought.

"I wish I were joking." Will and Karen listened as their friends sorted out the situation before them, finally taking in the reality of everything. And then Grace asked the question they were dreading; the question they knew the answer to would cause the real feelings to show. "How long has this been going on?"

"Since our New Year's party." Will's words were misleading, and it was obvious to Karen that he knew that, but they were both nervous for their friends to know the truth.

"How can you possibly say you're in love after two months? No matter how long you've been friends…"

"Not this last one, the other one we had." Grace's face scrunched in thought as she counted the years in her head.

"Wait, that would mean you've been together since…when, 2001 or 2002? Seventeen years, no fucking way!"

"We weren't exactly exclusive the first time we were together. Then we took a break for twelve years, and we got back together the night of Rosario's funeral. I know it sounds crazy, but we're both very serious about this." Karen felt badly that she had barely said a word, letting Will do all the talking, but she had no idea what she could be saying to make anything better. She knew herself well enough to know that sometimes her silence was more important that her own words.

They all spoke for a long while, mostly Grace asking questions and Will answering them. Karen was very surprised at how well the conversation was going after the initial shock wore off for everyone, but she was very pleased. The moment that truly let her know that everything was going to be fine was when Jack smiled and interrupted Grace's questioning, stating that all he really cared about was that they were happy. Grace agreed, even though she still had a million more questions, and they all decided that they would address everything as Will made breakfast for the four of them.

Will laid across his bed and sighed heavily as Karen closed the door behind them, her eyes tired from the lack of sleep the night before, as well as the stress she had felt the entire morning. Jack had gone home and Grace had gone out to meet Noah for coffee after breakfast, leaving Will and Karen alone to sort out their feelings about everything that had transpired that morning. Will sighed in relief, but Karen merely sat upon the edge of the bed, still feeling tense and unsure of herself. She had no idea what she was supposed to be feeling at the moment, and her sober state was making her feel very exposed.

"Are you even listening?" Will's words brought her out of her daze, and she turned to meet his eyes as he sat up behind her with a questioning look upon his face.

"No, I'm sorry, honey. What were you saying?" He scooted closer to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close.

"I was saying how relieved I am that they finally know, even though I really would have preferred not being walked in on like that." He chuckled at the memory, placing a kiss upon her cheek. "You're not even close to happy right now."

"No, I am. I'm glad they took it so well. I'm just overloaded right now." She rubbed her temples, trying to ignore the headache that was throbbing in her brain.

"Was it really that hard to let me do all the talking?" He meant the words as a joke, trying his best to pull her out of whatever mood she was in, but it only annoyed her a bit. She wasn't trying to be standoffish, but she wasn't exactly amused.

"We both know that me talking is never a good thing in those situations." She stood and looked for a pair of clothes she had left in his drawer for occasions such as the current, where she couldn't exactly wear home in what she had arrived.

"We should be on cloud nine right now. What's going on?" He followed her to the dresser, looking at her face even though she was not making eye contact with him.

"Now if I fuck everything up between us, there's no going back to the way things were." Her words were simple, but she truly was concerned that she would ruin everything. He stopped her hands from fumbling in the dresser drawer and turned her to face him, pulling her into a gentle hug.

"You forget that we've known each other for twenty years. I know your flaws and you know mine; we've said some pretty terrible things to each other in the past, and I still fell in love with you." He pulled away just enough to look into her eyes, which were filled with a bitterness that she used to battle her own emotion and keep her feelings hidden. "We know what we're getting into, Kare."

"I know…" Her words came in the form of a whisper, even though she tried her hardest to sound confident.

"Though I've never known you to be so anxious." He placed a gentle kiss upon her lips before meeting her eyes again, a small smile upon his face. "Are you sober?"

"I'm trying really hard to be."

"No wonder you're so stressed out, come here." He pulled her into another hug, running his hands over her back in a gentle massage, hoping to ease her tense muscles. "Let's take a nap. That should help with the headache I imagine you have."

"I'm not really a nap person, honey." He pulled her to the bed, tidying the covers from their rushed exit that morning.

"Even when it's with me?" He pouted his bottom lip, and she rolled her eyes. After a moment she smiled, moving forward to place a kiss to his lips.


	21. Chapter 21

_Present Day_

A movie played on the television as Will and Karen sat upon the couch, her feet in his lap beneath a soft blanket as she ate a bowl of ice cream. She could have said that she hadn't replaced her drinking with snacking a little more than she used to, but the ice cream in her hands told a different story. Will's hands moved over her small feet in a gentle massage, which she was very much enjoying as they watched what she could only describe as the sappiest movie she had ever seen in her life; it was terrible.

"Why are we watching this again, honey?" She took another bite, raising her eyebrows in question when he turned to her in exasperation.

"Are you really not feeling your heart being ripped out right now?" She only laughed, vaguely hearing the front door open as Grace returned from her date, her dog running to excitedly greet whomever was at the door. Their friend didn't come and join them, so she assumed she had gone straight to her bedroom to change clothes.

"Sorry, I'm not even buying this for a second."

"You are just heartless."

"Not the first person who's ever said that to me." She offered him a spoonful of ice cream, which he almost took, but he held back. "What, now I have cooties?"

"No, I just haven't had ice cream in years."

"I swear, you gays would kill yourselves to be skinny. Take a bite, honey."

"I'd rather not. What if I get fat and you don't want me anymore?" She laughed wholeheartedly, mostly glad that they weren't watching the movie.

"Honey, I was married to a five thousand pound man for years of my life. Your one bite of ice cream is not going to drive me away." He laughed as well, finally taking the bite she was offering before it melted. A baby began to cry on the television, bringing their attention back to the movie for a moment. She wasn't exactly sure what was happening, she hadn't really been paying attention, but one of the characters had recently given birth and was apparently having a difficult time with a newborn at home. She rolled her eyes and continued eating.

"Do you ever regret not having kids?" Her heart felt heavy at his words, and she quickly took another bite to buy some time before she had to answer.

"I had my step-kids."

"You know that's not what I mean. I sometimes wonder if I missed out on something by not having kids." He took another bite of the ice cream she offered, sighing. "Maybe if we would have gotten together sooner we could have tried."

"Actually, I was told a long time ago that I couldn't have children." She took another bite, trying not to show how she had never really talked about that part of her life with anyone. Jack knew of the time she thought she was pregnant, but he didn't realize the true meaning of the moment for her.

"What happened?" She shrugged, never having really been asked, but knowing she could trust him with anything. It was scary to her how easy he was to talk to, and she vaguely wondered if that was what her therapist was actually supposed to do for her…not like she ever even went to an appointment.

"I had a miscarriage when I was married to my first husband, and there were some complications that I never really understood. Bottom line, I was told that I wouldn't be able to carry a child." She sat her empty bowl on the table next to the couch, giving him a soft smile. "And now I'm old, so you really missed your mark with me."

"I've made my peace with the fact that it's not meant to be, and I think I'm okay with that." She smiled, moving toward him to rest her head against his chest, his arms wrapping tightly around her in a sweet embrace. She loved the feeling of being so open with someone, and she was so relieved to find a man who didn't judge her for anything that came out of her mouth, no matter how harsh she could be at times. She had made peace with not having a child as well, even though from time to time it still hurt a bit that she had never truly had the opportunity to be a mother.

"It's really annoying how cute you guys are." Grace walked into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water, dressed for bed with her hair piled on top of her head. It was clear by her quick appearance that she had been listening to their conversation, but it was unclear how much she had heard. She pretended she heard nothing, however, and sat next to Karen on the couch. "Who was eating ice cream?"

"Mostly me, but I was able to force Will to take a few bites." Grace's eyes widened, as she knew how he felt about dairy.

"You really have no idea how big of a deal that is." Grace took a drink of her water and her eyes widened when she saw the movie on the screen. "You haven't watched this yet? Oh my goodness, it seriously ripped my heart out."

"Thank you! Karen just keeps rolling her eyes…like that." She had in fact rolled her eyes again, but instead of putting herself through the back and forth between Will and Grace, she stood from the couch and took her bowl to the kitchen.

"You two can finish then, I can't take it anymore." She rinsed her bowl and placed it in the dishwasher, wondering when she had become the person who cleaned up after herself, before she walked towards Will's bathroom to brush her teeth and remove her makeup before bed. She texted Jack who confirmed that he thought the movie they were watching was terrible as well, so she at least had that to throw back in Will's face whenever he came to bed. After settling beneath the blankets in his bed, she smiled at how safe and loved she felt. She rarely spent time in her own home anymore, and she didn't even mind at all; Will didn't seem to mind either. Her dog hopped up onto the bed, curling up against her stomach and falling asleep quickly. She smiled, glad he didn't mind her making herself at home, because it had happened without much control on her part.

"How are things?" Grace's question came as the credits rolled at the end of the movie, just as they were getting ready to head to bed for the evening. "I don't think I have ever seen you so happy."

"Things are really great. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure it's all real." She chuckled, smiling at his relaxed attitude.

"You know I've always wondered, but she has never even come close to telling me she couldn't have kids."

"I thought you were listening."

"Hey, I can't stop myself when I'm hearing something I shouldn't." He rolled his eyes, but smiled as he knew she was telling the truth. He had never known Grace to control herself. "What I'm saying is; it's really nice to hear her opening up like that. And I haven't seen her drink or take any pills in weeks."

"I know, I can't believe it. Though she still slapped Estefan for questioning her shoes the other day, so she's not changed that much." They laughed, remembering the moment they knew that poor Estefan was going to suffer her wrath. He was unfortunate enough to always been on the receiving end of her sharpness. "How are you and Noah?"

It had been a while since Will had sat up and chatted with Grace, but they stayed up for hours catching up. When he finally came to bed, he smiled at the sight before him. Karen was curled up with her dog on the side of his bed that had become hers, sleeping peacefully as she awaited him to join her. He brushed his teeth and slipped beneath the covers, pulling her close and hearing her sigh in her sleep. He placed a gentle kiss upon her cheek before beginning to drift off, feeling happier in that moment than he had ever remembered feeling in his entire life.

"Jack hates your movie too." Her words were soft, and he began to chuckle. Of course she wasn't going to let it go that his movie selection wasn't up to her standards.

"I love you."

The End


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